Gothic Angst
by AHeartThat'sNeverBeenWhole
Summary: A teen rebel, a disfunctional family, a perverted shinobi, a Neko-Demon father, and a giant wolf- how much stranger can you get? My first fic with an OC as the main character, so please be nice. OOC, possible fluff and lemon. ;D
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Gothic Angst**

_**AHeartThat'sNeverBeenWhole: Good evening! Today, we shall be exploring the poorly written account of a young rebel, a giant wolf, a perverted shinobi, and the village known as Konohagakure. Prepare thyself, 'cause this is gonna suck worse than when Jiraiya died.**_

**Disclaimer: I no own any 'cept Ako-chan, who is my OC.**

**I only own the right to own the Naruto cast in my dreams... (sob)...**

**Naruto, Itachi, Kakashi, and Gaara: AMEN!!!**

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**Prologue: You've gotta be shitting me...**

Ako stared out the tiny airplane window.

Clouds roiled below the wings like waves of white. Occasional birds dove and fluttered below. Vapor trails slid over the white painted wing.

Ako needed to puke.

"Mom. I need to go to the bathroom." She murmured to the severe-looking woman beside her. Her mother sighed heavily and nodded.

"Just get back quickly." She muttered to her daughter as Ako stood and inched past her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Ako muttered under her breath, making her way down the aisle to the bathroom in the back. She'd never ridden in an airplane, let alone a first-class one, but she knew roughly where everything was from watching 'Snakes on the Plane'.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, she let out a huge sigh and leaned against the wall, pushing her hair back out of her eyes.

Ako was a thirteen year old of remarkable proportions. She was a Go and Shogi prodigy, and a Rebel. Her long hair, though usually a coppery-brown, was died Abyss Black. A small shock of white fell forward, over her left eye. Her current outfit was all black, from a ripped and hole-filled black t-shirt over a black-and-gray striped tank to a pair of black too-large jeans, chains and spikes festooning her entire person.

She pushed away from the wall and leaned her hands on the sink, staring hard at her reflection. A striking visage, she'd been told many times over; Her father's Scottish and Chippewa blood was evident in her strong bone structure, and her mother's Japanese heritage showed in her large eyes and delicate features, making her a bit less than Pretty.

But Ako had her own special charm. Her mother, craving a new life, had taken her off to America on her first birthday, and registered her and everything so that she was an official resident of America.

"And now Mom wants to bring me to Japan to visit her family..." Ako growled under her breath. "How much more stupidity can my life take?!"

She looked up to glare at her reflection, and stopped.

A heart-shaped, delicate face gaped back at her. Pearly eyes stared into her own hazelnut-chocolate ones. A cap of glossy black hair shone gently in a light that definitely did not come from the neon in the airplane bathroom.

"...What the hell..." Ako whispered.

Unbidden, her hand rose, and her pressed her finger against the mirror, right beside the stranger's face. The reflection winced, but...

Instead of hitting hard glass, Ako's finger sank into the mirror, sending ripples across its surface.

Ako gasped and snatched her hand away. The reflection backed up, obviously just as scared as she was.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Ako demanded of the air, studying the girl in the mirror. Now that she took a second look... this girl... looked exactly like...

Ako's eyes widened.

"...Hyuuga Hinata." She breathed.

Hinata's expression was one of wonder and fear. _"H-how..." _she whispered back. _"H-h-how d-do you kn-know my n-n-name?!"_

"I..."

A sullen crack suddenly split the air, and instead of a reflection, Ako faced a dark opening, in which all light seemed to fade, flicker, and die. She stumbled back, but the maw of Nothing just keep spreading, and suddenly, it swallowed her, leaving her empty screams to echo in the empty chamber.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako groaned.

Her head ached. Her entire body burned with weariness. She felt as though she'd run the entire length of Japan in three hours.

"Hinata-nee-chan? She's awake."

The high voice was rather cold and suspicious. Ako opened her eyes.

A small girl, wide pearl eyes disinterestedly locked on her face, nodded. "Nee-chan?" she called again.

Hinata came into view, a wet cloth in one hand and Ako's black leather studded dog collar in the other. She smiled tentatively.

"Um, h-hello. Y-you are that girl I saw in the mirror, yes?"

Ako nodded and forced herself to sit up, holding her aching head.

"Er... yeah... sorry for the scare, I just... waitaminute." Ako looked up sharply at the two Hyuuga girls. Then she looked around, her terror mounting.

This wasn't the airplane. This was a spacious Japanese-style room, complete with pallets and a low table with writing materials scattered on it. Several silk Japanese wall hangings showing the Hyuuga Gentle Fist technique hung where the best light was.

Ako paled.

"...This isn't... this isn't your clan house, by any chance... is it?" she squeaked.

Hanabi nodded. "Yeah. You practically flew out of the mirror. Nee-chan made me swear that we wouldn't tell Daddy or Neji-nii-san."

Hinata blushed. "I-I didn't want them t-t-to throw you out, n-not when you were still unconscious. S-so we're just going to tell them we found you in the forest and didn't want to bother them."

"Of course, they'll be angry with us either way." Hanabi grumbled.

"Y-yeah..." Hinata agreed sadly, "B-but at least they won't think you're an assassin."

Ako gaped at the two sisters.

"...Do you know how I can get back? Because if I don't, my mom's gonna come looking for me, and then she'll find that weird warping portal thingy, and then we'll both be stuck in here..." All the complications, everything that could go wrong, flooded Ako's mind.

"P-portal?" Hinata asked, breaking through Ako's Armageddon.

"Ah... didn't you see?... It... sucked me in, I guess..." Ako frowned at the recollection. "Or... well, how else could I have come here?..."

"By the way," Hanabi said suddenly, "What's your name? You know nee-chan's name, apparently."

"Oh." Ako blushed. "My name's Ako."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako sat before the head of the Hyuuga clan, forcing herself not to fidget. Her legs were starting to cramp, even though she'd only been sitting there for a few minutes. The hard-eyed man before her kept glancing her way as he spoke in low tones to the elders of the clan. Hinata and Hanabi sat on either side of her.

"So." Said the head of the clan finally. Hiashi, Ako reminded herself, His name's Hiashi. "You are Hunter Ako?"

"Um, yes, sir." Ako stammered, wondering how to tell these people that where she came from, the family name came last.

"Hmm." Hiashi didn't take his eyes off Ako's nervous face. "...Hinata-chan tells me that she and Hanabi-chan found you in the forest during their morning walk."

"I..." Ako's mind scrambled for the words that Hanabi had so carefully drilled into her just minutes before entering this room. "W-well, I wouldn't know if that's exactly what happened, I mean, I was passed out... I was just visiting my aunt, and then I got lost, and... and..."

Hinata had said that a few tears wouldn't be amiss. All Ako had to do was remember her mother's anxiety in arranging this trip, the good byes she herself had given her best friend, Anna, the fear that something might happen and she wouldn't want to leave, and her eyes began to burn. She sniffled and ducked her head, swiping at the tears angrily. She hadn't cried since god knows when. She'd thought it would be hard to start crying.

Hiashi's expression had gone from cold and calculating to faintly surprised and uncomfortable. The rest of the council showed even less emotions, though the traces Ako spotted where of anger, disdain, distress, pity, and even, on one oddly young council member's face, a pinch of fear.

She growled at herself and pressed both hands to her eyes before she let herself continue. No sense in giving up the tough rebel act, she told herself. "I'm sorry. As I was saying... I was visiting my aunt, over in the land of snow-"

"Without an escort?" someone interrupted.

"I may not look like much," Ako said with a hint of a smirk, "But I can lay out a good-sized guy in three hits. My dad was a kick-boxer."

"Kick-boxer?" Hanabi murmured inquiringly. That hadn't been part of the plan.

"Yep." Ako's smirk grew. "I didn't have an escort because we don't have any money, and I'm no use to a caravan unless it's in someone's bed," she made a face as pretty much everyone gasped indignantly, "And my cousin, he was a samurai, my cousin got into a fight and got himself killed. So I just told myself I'd come home without anyone else. And I did pretty good, until I got lost looking for a shortcut."

"Hanabi-nee-chan and I found her while looking for some flowers we remembered grew out along one of the deer trails." Hinata added boldly, shrinking slightly beneath the stares of her family. "W-we thought, m-maybe she needed some h-help, a-and we brought her b-b-back."

Hiashi looked from his unusually bold daughter to Ako, who was trying to look bored and tough instead of nervous and shy. Then he turned to Hanabi, who looked cool and emotionless and jaded. "Hanabi-chan, what say you? Is this story true?"

"It's true to a fault, sir." Hanabi replied. "Hinata-nee-chan wanted to go find some flowers that SHE remembered, and I just came because I was bored. She convinced me to help her bring Ako-san back."

Hiashi nodded, and turned back to Ako. "...We shall need time to think about this." He said finally. "You may stay with us until we decide what to do with you. Hinata, Hanabi, you are in charge of her."

"Yes, father." Both Hyuuga girls said, standing and bowing. Ako stood and bowed as well before flicking a salute at the head and grinning briefly.

"Thanks, Hi-kun." She said, and trotted out after a shocked Hinata and a smirking Hanabi.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako sighed.

Hinata had given her some of her old clothes (The younger girl had bigger boobs... TT0TT), which Ako was currently cutting to size. The black gloves in her hands were losing their fingers rapidly, and a small pile of modified (cut-up) pants and shirts sat beside her. Ako had kicked off her sneakers, preferring to go barefoot rather than even wear any socks.

Absently, she snipped the last finger off the gloves and pulled them on. They fit like, well, gloves. She smiled, tossed the fingers into a basket filled with trash, and stood. The door to the guest room she was currently occupying opened out into the garden, where Hanabi was practicing fighting arts under Hinata's watchful eye. Ako padded out onto the wooden deck to watch.

The little girl spun on her left heel, slamming her right foot into a log stood on end. Almost the minute she impacted, she flipped over and slammed a fist into the bark, making a dent. Instantaneously, her left leg lifted, curled, and snapped out, thunking dully on the wood. She flipped again, fighting a silent, still enemy, going so fast that she was almost a blur. Ako watched, entranced.

Her mother had often claimed that the Old Blood, as she called it, flowed swiftly and strongly through her and Ako's veins. She had often told Ako the story of how her eight-times-great-grandfather had been the last of a long line of secret practitioners of what was known as the 'sacred rites'; forms of fighting that had been outlawed since before Japan had first been populated. These practitioners had been known to those who knew of them as 'shinobi'. Ako, of course, having grown up in America, had no clue what the title meant. But her mother had always said it respectfully, almost reverently; there was no doubt that shinobi were special to Amehime Hunter.

And now Ako watched with fascination as a girl she didn't know except from manga performed martial arts that Ako had never seen, even in the anime, and she felt her blood burn, and excitement rise til it pounded in her ears, and she traced each move before Hanabi even completed the last-

"Ako-san?"

Ako blinked, snapping back to herself. Hinata was looking at her with concern and a touch of fear, as if she knew what this strange girl with a strange accent thought. Ako tried to smile. "Ah... s-sorry. Just... lost touch there, for a minute..." she laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. But she saw the bushes move a few yards from Hanabi's practice area, and the cold gleam of pearly eyes. Watching her.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**8D OMFG, it's here!!!**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this, because I certainly have and will enjoy writing this story!!! X3 Oh, and if you're against Naruto-characterXOC...**

**Run away now. Ako is not just an observer. X3**

**(P.S.: 'Ako' means 'my child' in Japanese, but I thought it suited Ako-chan. X3 She is, after all, my child. ;D)**

**(*The world loves you*)**


	2. Chapter 2: Enjoy the silence

**Chapter 1: Enjoy the Silence...**

Hiashi stared unseeing at the steaming cup of tea in his hands. For three long months, he had allowed this... this Ako to live in his house. She had come to them ignorant as a babe, but he had personally seen to her training, and been surprised by her eagerness and the speed with which she learned. She was almost worth it.

Almost.

The council was begging that he turn her out. They claimed it wasn't right, an outsider being trained with the same intensity of an heir. But they couldn't understand; a true shinobi hungered to bring those with skill to the highest possible level, so that they might gain honor and credit for creating such fine weapons. Ako was indeed a fine weapon.

Hinata and Hanabi had equally begun to improve, with an outsider there to compete against. Even Neji-kun-

Hiashi cut his thought off there. There was no need to think about how frighteningly quickly Neji-kun was figuring out the deepest of the Hyuuga arts, which were never even taught to him. He had to think about Ako, and what he would do when he ran out of things he could, or would, teach her.

"I suppose..." he murmured to himself, taking a sip of tea, "That it is time to call in on that favor..."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako was sparring with Hinata's cousin, Neji.

She liked sparring with Neji, though she didn't like the boy himself; it was fun to test her agility against his speed. Nearly always, Neji won, but that wasn't the point. The point was evading him longer than last time, despite the new moves he'd obviously learned.

She dodged yet another jab for a tenketsu, trying to get through the younger boy's guard. He was only eleven, and yet... and yet...

She made it another ten minutes before Neji managed to knock her off her feet.

"Well." Said a mild male voice as she picked herself up. "Neji-kun is getting better, isn't he? But obviously that favor doesn't apply to him."

She and Neji looked, and saw Hiashi standing well back, in formal black, while beside him stood... beside him...

Ako tried very hard to contain her excitement and nervousness. She hoped her sweaty face wasn't as red as she thought it was.

Hatake Kakashi inspected her with a narrowed eye, obviously not seeing her at all, but probably which styles she would be best at, and the movements and motions she had already demonstrated. "She's not bad." He said finally, turning to Hiashi, who raised one eyebrow.

"But is she good? I've put enough effort into evaluating her; give me your honest opinion."

"My honest opinion?..." Kakashi rubbed his chin, looking at Ako again. His eye was cold and calculating, distant. He wasn't seeing a girl, with the potential to be a shinobi; he was seeing a genin, with the potential to be a jonin. "Huh. My opinion is that she needs more training in jutsu. She's got Gentle Fist down pretty much, but without the Byakugan it's practically useless. Maybe Gai could help. For genjutsu, which I'm pretty sure she knows nothing about, there's Kurenai."

Ako bit her tongue to keep from spitting out "I can hear you, O mighty and worldly jonin."

"And ninjutsu?" Hiashi asked delicately, his eyebrow rising another centimeter. Kakashi scowled at him.

"Iruka-" he began, but stopped when Hiashi began shaking his head with a small, secret smile.

"Ah, Iruka-kun is good, but not good enough." He told his fellow jonin gently, as if he were speaking to a slow child. "I need YOU to teach her."

Ako's heart almost stopped.

"ME?!" Kakashi cried in a strangled voice, "Damn it, that wasn't part of the bargain!!! I don't teach, got it, Hiashi?! I'm a field shinobi, not a goddamn teacher!!!"

"Hiashi-sama?" Neji murmured, edging backwards. Hiashi nodded minutely, and the boy disappeared. Ako started to follow Neji's example, but Hiashi turned his gaze on her, and she stopped, instantly standing a little taller at the small flicker of pride in those impassive pearl eyes.

"Ako-san? Do you think you need a new teacher?" He asked her, amusement flickering in to a tiny smile. Ako's face paled, then flushed.

"Um, well, I, I don't know..." she mumbled, looking at her feet. "I don't want to know everything there is to know, I just... I want to know enough to get by..."

"But you have much more potential then just mediocre." Hiashi told her, before turning back to a speechless and fuming Kakashi. "Look at her, Kakashi. You saw her fight. She could easily gain the right to bear the name Hunter."

"N-no, see, Hiashi-sama-" Ako began, determined that Kakashi not get the wrong idea. But the silver-haired jonin held up a hand, and Ako's mouth instantly snapped shut.

"'Hunter'?" Kakashi murmured, eyeing her with new interest. "Is that really your name?"

"Well, yes," Ako confessed, "But see, where I come from, Hunter is just a name, we don't have jobs called that-"

"Shut up." Kakashi ordered.

Ako shat up.

"How good exactly is she?" Kakashi asked Hiashi, who smiled again, that tiny smile that spoke of secrets abound.

"Good enough to last forty minutes against my best."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi sighed and allowed Hiashi to order him to attend dinner with the Hyuugas, so that the head could make the announcement that Ako would be training with him, Kurenai, and Gai. He spotted the girl's face when Hiashi mentioned Gai; she looked like she was about to puke. But she quickly wiped away the expression.

He was starting to like her.

"Any special preparations I should make?" Kakashi asked, keeping his tone bored and light. "Maybe a few kunai, a smoke-bomb or two, in case someone snaps and tries to kill me?"

"No," Hiashi sighed, "We took care of that little problem. You'll be perfectly safe. Although I wonder how the council will react when I tell them YOU will be Ako-san's teacher..."

Ako muttered something that Kakashi didn't quite catch. "Eh? What'd you say? Quit mumbling, it's annoying."

She blushed, cleared her throat, and said quietly "I said, 'They'll probably ask why it's not Hinata, then try and kick me out'. N-no disrespect, Hiashi-sama."

"None taken." Hiashi replied, looking thoughtful, "Although you have a point, Ako-san. They might believe that simply because I am bending to their suggestion of a different teacher, I should bend to their suggestion of tossing you out."

"Now, that's just plain cruel." Kakashi objected. "Why would anyone toss someone out into the streets?"

"Especially since the said person being tossed out hasn't left the Hyuuga compound at all, under direct orders of the council." Ako muttered bitterly. "I'd get lost easier than a baby, and from what... Hinata told me, that'd be... bad."

Kakashi saw the flash of fear in Ako's chocolate eyes, and knew immediately that while she was no stranger to the danger of city streets at night, she was by no means apt to go out by choice. Only extreme need would force her to leave her home at night and wander the streets. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah... Konoha isn't a place to get lost in... frankly, I'm surprised you even kept her, Hiashi-kun. Seeing as most Hyuuga are mistrustful assholes..." Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Hiashi shrugged.

"I believed there was no harm in allowing her to stay with us." He said, almost defensively. "Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan enjoy her presence, and Neji-kun is more sociable since he began regularly sparring with her." Ako blushed and stared hard at her feet again.

Kakashi sighed heavily. "Alright, alright, I get it. So, what if most of your elders start screaming about you being a traitor to the clan? And what if someone tries to kill Ako-san, just to get rid of her?"

"I will punish them." Hiashi replied simply. His eyes flashed dangerously as he spoke. "Ako-chan is as much a part of our household as Hinata-chan."

Ako flushed with pleasure.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Hinata and Hanabi, though not as impressed with Kakashi as Ako (though she didn't tell them about her crush on him), fussed slightly over her when she told them, in a dazed sort of way, that he was going to be one of her senseis.

"Who else is going to teach you?" Hanabi asked eagerly as they all three fussed over each other's clothes a half-hour before dinner, "I mean, you said ONE of your senseis. Is father going to continue tutoring you?"

Ako blushed and shook her head. "No... Hatake-sensei is only for ninjutsu. He said Gai and Kurenai-san would be good teachers for taijutsu and genjutsu, respectfully." She shivered. "I'd sooner do without Gai, though." She muttered, straightening the youngest girl's yukata and turning to Hinata's hair, which had gotten mussed AGAIN.

"Why?" Hinata asked, tucking Ako's white shock of hair behind her ear and fiddling with her sister's ponytail. "He's the best, isn't he? And I thought you'd never met him before..."

Ako blanched.

'This is what comes of not telling them the truth, dumbass. Spit it out, or they'll be suspicious of even the truth.'

"Well..." Ako played with the sleeve of her yukata, then sighed. "Look, you two know I'm not... from here. Frankly, I don't think I even belong in this world. I mean," she blushed as Hinata and Hanabi gave her exasperated looks, "I mean, I came out of a freakin' mirror!...

"Well... where I come from..." she took a deep breath, then blurted, "Where I come from, this entire world, all of its people, are just characters and settings in a manga that's become insanely popular, even in America, where I come from. And I'm just a normal Japanese-American, and I was a really big fan, which is how I know almost everyone's name and stuff and that's why I'd rather not be Gai's student because I know what he's like and that's why I knew your name Hinata-chan and that's why I think I have a crush on Kakashi only I didn't know it was a crush before I came here and he said he was going to be my sensei-" she slapped her hands over her mouth, feeling her blush worsen.

Hinata and Hanabi sat there, stunned.

"...Well." Hanabi said finally.

"...W-well." Hinata repeated.

"...Well?..." Ako squeaked hesitantly.

"...That definitely explains things." Hanabi said simply. "I thought you had a bit of Sight... I didn't know... We're really only a made-up story in your... world?"

Ako nodded. "I-I'm sorry, I know it's not something that you'd expect, b-but that's the truth, I swear, I'll sign my name in blood or burn myself with cigarettes, anything, I'm not lying!" she rocked back on her heels, amazed at her own vehemence.

Hinata shook her head. "No... it's okay, Ako-chan. I've always wondered if there were another world... and if there was, if I were in it." For one oddly story-book moment, Hinata's expression was of a longing so intense that Ako actually reached out and hugged her.

"Don't worry; back home, everyone sympathizes with you, though I won't be an ass and say that no one doesn't think you don't have depth." She smiled crookedly as Hinata stared at her. "Well... let's just say, Kishimoto-sama hasn't given you any really important roles yet. He hasn't really given any of the girls important roles." Her face darkened. "In some ways, I hate him. In others, I worship him. In your case, I am severely disappointed in him."

Ako smiled again at Hinata's expression. "Sorry for talking like you're not real; I'm just... not really that used to being part of my fandom, I guess."

Hanabi cleared her throat, and the two older girls looked at her. "You said you had a crush on Hatake-kun?..." she asked lightly, smirking faintly.

Ako blushed and glared at her. "Hanabi, I swear, if you weren't my friend, I'd strangle you."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi HATED being formal.

So he really didn't want to tell his friends that he wasn't going to be able to go to the bar that night because of Hiashi. Neither did Kurenai, it seemed, or she might not have heard that Kakashi had nominated her.

Gai knew he'd been volunteered, though.

"KAKASHI, MY ETERNAL RIVAL!!!" he roared, bounding up to Kakashi in the jonin lounge, "WHAT IS THIS I HEAR FROM HIASHI-KUN THAT I AM TO BE A TUTOR TO A CHILD I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF AT YOUR REQUEST?!?!"

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You've got it all wrong, idiot. Ako-san's been isolated, yes, but only because she's not a Hyuuga, and they've taken her in. I didn't REQUEST you, I SUGGESTED you. Aren't you always boasting about being the best taijutsu expert in Konoha?"

"BECAUSE I AM!!!" Gai roared, posing in such a way that several females shrieked and hid their poor eyes.

"And I recently got a message saying I'm supposed to teach this 'Ako' girl..." Kurenai commented softly, glaring suspiciously at Kakashi. Asuma gaped from one to the other.

"H-Hang on! What about me?!" He objected.

"What ABOUT you?" Kakashi snapped.

"How come I don't get to tutor this mysterious isolated foundling girl?!" Asuma demanded.

"Because Hiashi wanted my opinion on who would be best at teaching her taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu, and you don't specialize in any of those!" the silver-haired jonin snarled exasperatedly, "I tried to get Hiashi to let ME off the hook, but he said Iruka wasn't specialized enough, and you weren't exactly the teaching type-"

"Neither are you!"

"I know! I told him such, and he just said 'It doesn't matter, you owe me anyway'!" Kakashi jammed his hand through his hair, thoroughly exasperated with Hiashi, Gai, Asuma, and Ako. "Hell, the kid said HERSELF that she didn't want to know more than was necessary!"

"Well, when she's learned all that's necessary, we can quit." Kurenai said sensibly.

"YOSH!!! A WONDERFUL idea, Kurenai-chan!!!" Gai crowed, "Now, my eternal rival, LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!! ROCK!!!" he thrust out his fist. On impulse, Kakashi held out his own and said "Paper."

"SCISSORS!!! HYAH!!!"

Kakashi had rock. Gai had scissors.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Gai screamed in anguish.

Kakashi shrugged and turned back to Kurenai and Asuma.

"Right, so, Hiashi wanted me to go hang around during the big announcement feast (I ain't gonna eat around them Hyuugas), so I can't come get hammered tonight. Maybe tomorrow, I dunno." He shrugged carelessly. "Personally, I'm shooting for a month before she cracks and I'm free again."

"You talk like she's your girlfriend..." Kurenai sighed. Asuma nodded, grinning. Kakashi glared at them.

"Oh, shut up. Anyway, I'm betting a month before I'm released from teaching duties. What're your bets?"

"Oooh, no." Asuma shook his head furiously. "You always win when YOU'RE the one placing the first bets. I ain't betting against you."

"I'll bet two months." Kurenai commented, smirking slightly. "I suppose if Hiashi-kun likes her enough to make YOU her teacher, this Ako is pretty tough."

Kakashi shrugged again. "Well, she lasted about thirty minutes against Neji-kun. Does that tell you anything?"

Gai whistled behind him. "That long? Amazing! I could never survive even ten minutes against the boy's father, and everyone knows that Neji himself is a genius among his own people, if not among all the shinobi nations..." he shot Kakashi a glance, as if to see his reaction.

Kakashi blinked. "Hmm? You say something?" he asked vaguely, turning to Gai with a look of wide-eyed innocence.

"HOW DARE YOU!!!" Gai practically screamed, "MY ETERNAL RIVAL, YOU ARE, INDEED!!! TO HAVE THE NERVE TO IGNORE ME!!!..." he then went into a very long rant about Kakashi's youth and vigor. No one really listened.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako hadn't eaten in the family dining room before; she'd always eaten in her room, and never really cared much what they gave her.

When she saw the spread for the announcement feast, she realized they'd been scrimping at feeding her.

Not that Ako much minded; true, the sushi she tried that night was rather good, and the watered sakè palatable, but sitting where the entire Hyuuga household could see her was profoundly disturbing.

It's not the ENTIRE household, she reminded herself. Just the main branch, and the servants. She found this even more pitiful than a whining puppy on the street; to think that such a tightly-knit clan would split itself so thoroughly as to create branches that were better or worse...

Hinata and Hanabi took it much better than Ako. Being the Heir, Hinata sat on her father's right; Hanabi, on his left. Ako had pride of place (though she didn't think so herself) right beside Hanabi, and subsequently, beside an empty place that was all that separated her from a rather finicky old woman who frowned at Ako constantly.

Pretty soon, as the meal progressed and all that ever happened was a pleasant buzz of conversation, Ako got tired of being frowned at. So she flashed the disapproving elder a dazzling smile, putting as much contempt and weary condescension into it as she could. She then turned back to her food, smirking slightly behind her hair as the old woman blinked, taken aback, then turned hastily to the old man on her other side.

"Nicely done." Someone commented quietly as they sat down beside her.

Ako jumped slightly, and turned her head so fast that she nearly gave herself whiplash. Wincing, she rubbed her neck and cast a shy glance over her elbow at Kakashi, who watched her with amusement.

"Er, what?" she mumbled, "I dunno what you're talking about."

"You know perfectly well what I was talking about." The older man chuckled softly, looking over Ako's head to Hiashi. "Sorry, Hiashi-kun, but I ain't eating around here; I prefer keeping the mask on, thanks."

Hiashi gave him a thin smile. "I expected as much. Although I hear you have the ability to drink with your mask on; that would be a fine trick to witness."

Kakashi grinned. "I don't do shows, sorry. Although that is true. Just ask Asuma next time he comes to court one of your poor little cadet branch wenches." He gave one of the servants behind him a sly, friendly wink. She giggled and slipped away to whisper to one of her fellow servants. Ako grinned, but quickly dispersed the expression.

Hiashi raised one eyebrow at Kakashi. "Ah... I see. And... you are late once again..." he frowned disapprovingly. Kakashi chuckled.

"You look like Mother Kiyoko over here! She was making the same face at Ako-san." He glanced over his shoulder. Ako leaned back a little to peek around him. The old woman shot her a glare, then called down to Hiashi, her voice reedy, "Hiashi-kun, why is this ruffian here?"

"Because I invited him, Obāsan Kiyoko." Hiashi replied smoothly. "I would thank you not to insult him in his presence. I'm afraid this will not be the last time you see him in the clan House. In fact, I should explain to everyone..."

Kakashi shook his head and sighed as Hiashi called a servant towards him. "I really wish he wouldn't defend me when I can do it myself..." he muttered, then looked at Ako, who turned quickly back to fiddling with the sleeve of the yukata Hinata had given her.

She didn't really listen as Hiashi stood and made his announcement that she wouldn't be training with Hinata and Hanabi anymore; she was rather preoccupied with the fact that Hanabi was steadily leaning in, with a purpose. Ako didn't dare move away, because that would mean moving closer to Kakashi...

Hanabi finally slumped against Ako, but it wasn't the kind of tense, steadily pushing slump that meant she was trying to make Ako uncomfortable; it was the kind of slump that a tired child would perform on an older sibling. Automatically, Ako put her arm around Hanabi. She was just so used to the girl, and seeing her as someone she could trust...

The steadily building grumbles of outrage seemed to cease the moment Ako put her arm around Hanabi. Now the atmosphere of the room was a stuffy kind of silence that spoke of hidden emotions abound. Ako raised her head.

It seemed as though millions of pairs of eyes were on her, although it couldn't have been more than seventy. Eyes that held anger, hurt, amazement, disappointment, sadness, even a bit of hatred. These eyes, gleaming as pearls before her, were the ones that saw her; and what did they see? A woman-child they didn't know? A stranger?

A girl who had tried so hard to gain their respect she didn't even notice she'd been trying?

A Japanese-American with no family and hardly any friends, struggling between her past life and the implausible present?

Ako Hunter, who only wanted to go home and be with her mother and friends again?

Before she broke down and cried, Ako began to wonder. What DID these people see? They probably, for the most part, only saw a little girl who was getting more attention than the shy child they all wanted to succeed so hard, they were breaking her. They saw all of their efforts wasted, because they were harming the one they wanted to help, and the one taking the spotlight was an unknown child with an unknown past. Of course they hated her.

But what the hell did she care?

Her chin rose; she glared defiantly back at the eyes turned towards her; she stubbornly set her jaw, and mentally dared them to say she didn't deserve this chance. Her pride stood in the way of her actually admitting her rapidly growing ego, but it certainly didn't stand in the way of her telling them all to go to hell in a handbasket.

She was so proud of herself.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi's first thought upon seeing Ako blanch at all the eyes fixed on her was, She won't make it. She'll wash out before a month is up.

But then he saw defiance spark in her deep brown eyes; she tightened her jaw minutely, and raised her chin ever so slightly; she looked like a Princess sat where a shy little mouse had been before. Disgust was evident in her disdainful glare, and she seemed not to notice that the one lock of pure white hair had fallen down in front of her eyes, making her seem even more wild and untamed, coupled with her blazing eyes.

Several clan members looked down or away, rather than meet her snapping chocolate gaze. The others quailed beneath her stare.

Kakashi was impressed.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

"VERY nice." The light baritone beside Ako murmured as soon as she relaxed and turned her gaze once again to the little girl who was grinning up at her triumphantly. Ako glanced up at Kakashi, who met her eye-for-eye, seemingly impressed.

Ako shook her head, closing her eyes briefly before turning to Hanabi and muttering defiantly "You did that on purpose."

"How else could I get you to earn your place?" Hanabi giggled, pulling away gently from Ako's restraining arm. "Besides, if none of them saw us being close, they'd assume you'd done something to father, or, you know," Hanabi wriggled her eyebrows slightly with a faintly disgusted expression, and Ako hid a revolted giggle behind her hand, "Well, anyway, now they'll think me and Hinata made him train you and find you good teachers."

"You think they'll believe that?" Kakashi asked quietly, one eyebrow raised in amused inquery. Hanabi turned spiteful pearl eyes on him.

"Do you think you could do better, O wise one?" she asked acidly. Ako grinned.

"That's my girl," she said proudly, ruffling Hanabi's hair, "Don't let them mean males talk back to you."

"Who's a mean male?" Kakashi objected, eye glittering with suppressed mirth, "All I ever did was ask how you knew your plan would work!"

"If males would just shut up and not question women, you would never have to wonder." Ako shot back coolly, meeting his gaze for all of ten seconds before looking towards Hiashi. The head of the clan seemed suspiciously like he was trying not to laugh.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**AAAAAAAND, CUT!!!**

**Yeah, I know this is really short... :3 But I don't give a flying f*ck (excuse teh language). I really like Ako, and I like how this started out (not so much the announcement scene, because I'm more used to Medieval European feasts than Feudal-style Japanese feasts == ==;). To be sure, there shall be more, though I should be working on Xenocide on my other account! XD**

**(*The world loves you*)**


	3. Chapter 3: And so begins Hell

**Chapter 2: And so begins Hell...**

Ako woke up cranky.

Could you blame her? The clan council, after getting over the idea of Ako getting special training, had decided that she was to train in the family compound, and was to be stopped if she tried to leave, for any reason. They said this was to make sure she actually did train.

Ako knew it was because they still didn't trust her.

So when Hinata woke Ako two days later, on the morn of her first day of training, she steadfastly refused to wear the clothes that had been supplied for her by the council, or eat anything, claiming not to be hungry.

She relented when her stomach growled loudly, startling a laugh out of both Hinata and Hanabi.

But she was still grumpy when she slouched on a bench in a clearing in the garden that had been blocked off, Hiashi being distrustful of the younger children, who seemed to always be lurking around Ako, looking like starved puppies and begging for her to teach them a few techniques. She thought she'd never be fully able to be content, ever; she'd never been completely happy back home with her mother, and now...

Ako bit her lip to hold in a sob. It still ached to think of her mother. She'd rarely thought of her at all, partly for that reason... and partly because she'd been so obsessed with her 'new life'.

She couldn't really hold it in. She sniffled, and let herself cry, but swallowed any noises she might have made. It was easy; too easy. Ako hadn't cried properly since she were a little girl. She'd decided early on that tears were a weakness, and she mustn't be weak.

Why, though? Why had she decided that to cry was to be defenseless and stupid, pathetic and frail? Weren't young children supposed to throw tantrums, sob themselves sick, and generally be dramatic? Why the sudden maturity? Ako didn't really know, herself. This startling new mystery was sufficient in stopping her crying; and turning her mind from her mother.

Some things were meant to be forgotten... whispered a cold little voice in the back of her head.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi wanted to be late. He wanted to make Hiashi and that Ako girl and Kurenai and Gai wait for at least an hour. He wanted to cause some misery.

He couldn't do so, though, because his roommate woke him up early.

"C'mon, Kakashi-kun! Get up!" Iruka scolded, smacking on the light and yanking Kakashi's pillow out from under his head. The jonin moaned and buried his face in the mattress, then yelped as the feather-filled cotton slab was pressed against his head.

"O-oy, stop it!" he cried, throwing out his fist. He felt it barely miss Iruka's face, and was rewarded with the pillow being removed. He sat up, rubbing his face, and glared at Iruka between his fingers.

"I hate you." He hissed.

The chunin shrugged. "I knew that. Now, you said you have a new student? Shouldn't you go and meet up with them and Gai and Kurenai-san? C'mon, there's coffee, and it's fresh." He wheedled, poking Kakashi's forehead.

"I'M UP!!!" the jonin roared, leaping out of bed, grabbing his mask and pulling it on as he pelted from the room. He could hear Iruka laughing as he downed a mug of joe.

"You're too predictable!" Came the muffled call.

Kakashi grinned. "You're too surprising, nii-san!" he called back.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako kicked at the dirt, bored almost out of her wits. Already, she had planned out an essay on why she didn't believe in God in her head, beaten herself in a game of Shogi twice, and was halfway through a game of Go. She sighed, and gave up. She just couldn't concentrate.

Hatake Kakashi... as her sensei! And Gai and Kurenai, too, but, really... they were nothing compared to the mega-hotty she'd loved since the first installment of the manga! He was... well, he was unearthly. Unreal. She still couldn't believe she had sat next to him for an hour...

She sighed and put her chin in her hand. Let's face it, she told herself, You've got the hots for him, and you're a hopeless romantic. No matter what happens, you will always be in love with someone. Give up now while you still have your dignity, and crush on Neji, for Jashin's sake!

But she couldn't. Neji was a bastard and an idiot. And Kakashi... was everything.

Smart, strong, kind, loyal, gentle, ruthless, fair, sweet, empathic... and then there was his physical side; slim, tall, muscular, mysterious, and so goddamn unnaturally colored he was like a god.

Ako giggled and flushed at her own foolishness. Someone wasn't a god just because of their hair and eye color.

But still...

She sighed and leaned back on the bench, stuffing her hands in her pockets. She'd even worn clothes not torn and ripped, just to try and make an impression... she knew he would be late, and she knew he would probably be visiting the memorial stone... but that didn't make it right in her mind.

Someone was walking down the gravel path.

Ako instantly sat upright and stared as Hiashi and a brown-haired, red-eyed woman entered the clearing. Hiashi gave her a small, encouraging smile before turning to the woman. "Kurenai-san, this is Hunter Ako. Ako-chan, this is Kurenai. She will be your sensei in genjutsu."

"Hajimemashite." Ako murmured, standing and bowing a little. She was still a bit in awe of anyone who was above genin level.

Kurenai blinked, then smiled slightly, with a mischievous crook to one side of her mouth that was quite unlike the Kurenai Ako knew. "Hmm... very well, thank you. So you're the Ako Kakashi-kun was so irritated about."

'Kyaa! Her voice is just as pretty as I always imagined it!' cried the fangirl part of Ako's mind. Ako herself thought that her face must have flushed with embarrassment and fear, because it felt rather warm. Kurenai chuckled.

"Don't worry, kiddo; he's just angry because he doesn't much like kids. He said you were actually pretty good, too..." the female jonin rubbed her chin in thought, then glanced at Hiashi. "Gonna stick around and see how the first meeting goes, Hiashi-sama?" she asked.

The Hyuuga leader shook his head. "No... I need to oversee Hinata-chan's training. I leave Ako in your hands; just don't break her."

As he turned to go, Kurenai asked "Can I get Kakashi to dent her a bit?", with a glint of malicious glee in her eyes. Hiashi smiled a little again.

"Of course. You may well start something." And then he was gone.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako stared at her new teacher with fear and awe. The conversation between Kurenai and Hiashi barely registered; she was too busy trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her idol had complimented her, in any way.

"He... he didn't actually say that, did he?!" She burst out suddenly, and ducked her head, blushing furiously, when Kurenai stared at her in surprise.

"Ah... yes. Yes, he did, actually." Kurenai studied the girl before her, and liked what she saw. A skinny girl of about thirteen, wearing dark clothes that seemed a bit loose, with great big anxious doe eyes of chocolate brown that just seemed to melt your heart. She'd be a beautiful spy when she was older and developed a bit more.

"Hmm... you don't seem much like a taijutsu-style girl..." Kurenai began thinking aloud, circling Ako like a shark. "You haven't got as much muscle as would be useful for it... however, you've got long legs, which could be a good thing... have you got good chakra control?"

"Um, H-Hiashi-kun only taught me how to access my chakra a few months ago, so no." Ako mumbled miserably, hanging her head. Kurenai frowned and grabbed the girl's chin, making her look up.

Interesting hair, she noted absently as she studied Ako's eyes for the truth. They seemed to have darkened from chocolate to a kind of muddy, earthy black-brown. She certainly looked anxious and childish, and from what Hiashi had told her, this child had a hard time hiding her emotions. Kakashi's report confirmed it.

"Well then, I don't think we should start you out on genjutsu until you've got the basics of ninjutsu down." Kurenai decided, letting go and stepping back, putting her hands on her hips. "As soon as Gai gets here, we'll get his opinion, and then Kakashi will probably show up all hung-over or something."

Ako giggled, but quickly stifled herself, rubbing her mouth on her sleeve as if to wipe away her smile. Kurenai smiled in response.

"So, as we wait for the annoying males..."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair as he approached the gates of the Hyuuga estate. He'd never admit it, but he was nervous. Ako made him nervous, the way she seemed to see through him with her large brown eyes and see things... see things he'd never let on to. Ever.

He shivered. Just meeting her eyes for those ten seconds back at the banquet had made him want to hide. She was... strange. He didn't know why. He only knew that his 'seventh sense' rang alarmingly whenever Ako was around.

"Halt!" Kakashi found his way blocked by the gate guards' swords. He sighed.

"Yo, guys. Hiashi-sama sent for me; I'm sure you've heard why by now." He looked the two guards in the eye, daring them to challenge his authority. The younger was the one who looked down. The veteran met him gaze-for-gaze.

"Hunter-kun and Kurenai-kun are in the Wild Garden." He told Kakashi stiffly, and moved out of the way. Kakashi nodded absently and continued into the sacred precincts of the Hyuuga.

In a way, it reminded him of a small town; children ran down the lanes between the homes, laughing and playing. Young women and old broke off their conversations to watch as Kakashi made his way down the center lane, heading for the inner quarters. Men watched him warily.

The children felt no such wariness; they flocked at Kakashi's feet, babbling questions. Most had never left the walls of their home, and any outsider was new and exciting.

Kakashi couldn't stop himself from smiling. Despite what others thought, he loved children. He just didn't like getting close to them. They cut too deep, too quickly. He answered their questions to the best of his abilities, and traded grave handshakes with the few older children who came to say hello. All of them, however young, seemed to have a kind of maturity about them that saddened him immensely.

At the gates of the inner precinct, the children shed away, and Kakashi entered its shadow alone. The wall loomed over him, and as always, he felt small and insecure. He bolstered himself with the thought that soon, soon he'd never have to come here again.

'Only a few months, boy... come on, you can take this!'

Kakashi smiled sadly as he knocked on the gate door. His old man just wouldn't leave him alone, even in death.

The guard that opened the door scowled, but pointed down a gravel path that led away from the main path. "They're down in-" the guard began.

"The Wild Garden." Kakashi finished, feeling a smile spasm across his face. "Thanks, Hiro-kun."

He didn't try for a soundless approach. It would have been too much work. But he was still surprised when Gai bounded towards him as he stepped into a clearing and yelled in his face "YOU NEVER TOLD ME THIS AKO WOULD BE SO BEAUTIFUL A GIRL, ETERNAL RIVAL!!!"

Kakashi instantly punched him out. "And they say I'M a pervert..." he muttered, turning from the twitching green monster to the two bemused females. He felt his eye twitch as Ako flushed faintly and looked at her feet.

"You're late, Kakashi-kun." Kurenai sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Me an' Ako-chan had to survive Gai for two whole hours."

Kakashi shrugged. "I wanted to be later, but nii-san woke me up with suffocation and coffee, and then there weren't any kittens stuck up any trees, so there's that, too..."

"Your excuses leave a lot to be desired." Ako muttered, rubbing her mouth on her sleeve. Kakashi suspected she was smiling.

"Yes, well, get used to it." Kakashi tucked his hands in his pockets, wondering why he felt so nervous. She's just a little girl, he reminded himself. Just a little girl.

Kurenai rolled her eyes and sighed. "Right... so, she said she doesn't have much control over her chakra, so I think, and Gai agrees, that you should teach her a bit of ninjutsu before we move on to-"

"HELL NO." Kakashi hardly recognized his own voice. He only knew without a doubt that he couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't teach this girl, at all, until she had been handled by others. He hardly noticed Gai's squawk of outrage, or Kurenai's angry stare. The world was just a swirl of colors and motion, and Kakashi didn't want to make sense of it. He knew it was unnatural to be so frightened of teaching one little girl...

That thought was what got him under control. Ako was just a child. And at the moment, her face was hidden by her hair, but he could tell by her tense, slumping posture that she was very upset. Kakashi took a deep breath to hold down his rage, and felt it turn to ice, and fall from his throat to his heart, where it melted and was gone.

"I mean... have you guys evaluated her, or what?" he asked lamely. "I already did, you two should as well."

Kurenai continued to glare, but said nothing. Gai froze in mid-yell, thought for an agonizing minute, then nodded, slowly. "Yes... I have only your word that she is proficient in the Gentle Fist technique. I wish to see it for myself."

Ako looked up finally, and though her face was under control, it was very white, and her eyes had darkened from chocolate to the color of old, old wood that had been stained countless times. "Um... but... I... I'm not very good at..." she squeaked, and quailed when all three adults looked at her.

Kurenai sighed. "Well... how about this? We'll go hide, and you can pretend you're just practicing by yourself. 'Kay?"

Ako nodded, chewing her lip. If she had been any other girl, Kakashi would have smiled at the picture she made. "That... that might work." She said quietly.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, but melted into the woods, watching Gai and Kurenai do the same. Ako seemed to sag for a moment, her mask flickering, baring a fear that Kakashi was surprised to see. Then the mask was back in place, and Ako was walking quickly down the path to the small area set aside for the Hyuuga Heir to train in.

Kakashi followed, curious as to what she would do. He had completely forgotten about Gai and Kurenai; that flash of fear he had seen on Ako's face drew him as a moth to a flame. He wanted to see why she was frightened.

And so he ghosted through the woods beside the path, making sure he was completely invisible from Ako. She seemed intent on watching her feet tread purposefully down the path, and she was biting her lip, obviously an unconscious habit. Soon, they reached the training area, and Ako seemed to relax completely.

She stepped forward, and put her hand on one of the targets, studying it with a cocked head. Then she nodded, slowly.

Kakashi didn't even see her draw the kunai.

Suddenly, the blade was in her hand, and the target had received a long scar, pale wood showing. Impressed despite himself, Kakashi moved forward soundlessly.

Ako moved back, sheathed her blade, and bowed low, as if to an enemy. Kakashi was amused to see that her eyes were closed. She won't be able to aim, he told himself incredulously. Is she really that stupid?

Then she began to throw a pattern of blows that almost took Kakashi's breath away.

Ako wasn't proficient in Gentle Fist; she was an expert. No wonder she could last so long against Neji. Her blows fell harder, flew faster, and then she twisted on one heel, furled her leg up under her, and snapped it back out, slamming her foot squarely in the center of the target. The wood let out a loud crack, and a great chunk fell off. Ako, without opening her eyes, slammed her fist into it, sending it high into the air, where it broke in half and fell on either side of a now-bowing Ako.

Kakashi let out a slow breath, and emerged from the trees.

"VERY good." He murmured, quelling his 'seventh sense' fear as Ako whirled to face him. He carefully kept studying the log she had been practicing on. "Kurenai-san? Gai?"

The two also melted into being, eyeing Ako with equal interest. "I admit, that was very... amazing." Gai said quietly. Kurenai nodded. Ako blushed and looked at her feet.

"W-well... I'm not as good against other people." She mumbled glumly. "I just... can't think of them other than a friend, or someone I know. If I'm just practicing, I'm at my best, but if I start fighting, like, Neji, then... I just..." she shrugged and hung her head, blushing.

"What if you thought of them as someone you hated?" Kakashi asked lightly, though he thought he knew the answer. He was not disappointed as Ako shook her head hard.

"N-no, that doesn't work, 'cause I have to keep my eyes open when I'm fighting someone, and I can't think of them as a different person if I can see their face." She looked absolutely miserable as she stared at her feet, her hands clasped behind her back. Kakashi sighed heavily and looked at Gai, who was studying Ako intently.

"...Well." he said finally. "There isn't much I can teach you about the basics... but there are a few styles and techniques that I think would suit you very well. Speed, not strength; that's what you're good at."

Kurenai nodded. "Yeah... you do best with your eyes closed, eh? That might help you picture a genjutsu properly, but it would mean breaking eye contact. Of course, there are exercises to help you hold an image in your head so you can properly entrap an enemy."

All three looked at Kakashi, who stared at the crowns of the trees, thinking.

"...Fire." he said decisively. "Either Fire or Water, or Lightning. One of those three. Earth is more slow, with more power behind it. You're best at speed, but you've got a lot of strength, too, so not Air... Air is ALL speed. But then, like you said, you don't have much aggression... so maybe not Fire. Hmm..." he rubbed his head, still thinking over the conundrum. "Well... we'll leave it be for now. We can start with taijutsu."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

After a long day learning new ways to draw blood, Ako was more than ready to fall on to her bed and sleep. However, Hinata and Hanabi weren't going to let her.

"So?!" Hanabi demanded as Ako stripped off her sneakers and set them down just outside the door.

"So what?" Asked Ako wearily.

"So how did it go?" Hinata asked. She sat at the low table in the middle of Ako's room, serenely sewing up a scandalous rip in one of the shirts she'd give Ako.

Ako scowled, and flopped down across from Hinata, slouching over the table. "I hurt in places I didn't know I had." She grumbled. And it was true. Gai had lost his stupid and silly act and taken her training very seriously indeed; Ako had seen Kurenai and Kakashi trade confused and bemused glances as Gai corrected Ako's stance until it was perfect.

Hanabi sat next to Hinata and leaned against her older sister. "Yeah, but did you have fun? Was it really hard? Did they make you spar against them?" She demanded, picking up a scroll and a brush, obviously her homework.

Ako rolled her eyes. "It was fun, in a way." She said softly, putting her head on her arms. It HAD been a bit fun; it had been especially fun when Gai decided to abruptly drop Ako in Kakashi's hands for a style of taijutsu that Kakashi was expert in. It had been very fun to watch the cool and collected young jonin grow flustered and impatient. It hadn't been as fun when he suddenly said he had to go take care of something; despite his bluster, he actually was a good teacher.

Of course I'd say that, she thought miserably. I've had a crush on him since I first saw him. And that's a long time.

Ako sighed and sat up, brushing her hair out of her eyes, wincing as her back crackled. "So... how did things go for you guys?" she asked, putting her chin in her hand.

Hinata blushed slightly as Hanabi giggled.

"Hinata-nee has a BOYfriend." Hanabi snickered.

"I-I-I-I do n-n-n-not!" Hinata cried, her pale face flushing fire-engine red. "I-I-I just l-l-l-like him a little, th-th-that's all!"

"Who, Uzumaki Naruto?" Ako asked, amused.

Hinata and Hanabi stared at her. "...Oh." Hinata said softly.

"I forgot..." Hanabi murmured, "You already know this stuff."

"Not all of it..." Ako sighed. "I only know everything from two years from now on up until you guys are sixteen and ten, and even then I've only got a vague notion. I didn't get very far into the story before I got sucked here... I won't say 'stuck', 'cause I like living here with you guys." Ako smiled, and was rewarded with two identical grins.

"Now, let's talk of pleasanter things..."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Moodily, Kakashi carved a stray stick that he'd found earlier. The bark was gone, and now he was busy following the natural contours of the wood.

A soft curve there, a liquid swirl there, a gentle slope, a deep line...

He stopped carving when he noticed that the lines formed an abstract shape that looked like a woman. Scowling, he put a deep 'X' through it, and tossed it in the trash, rubbing his head with one hand. He knew what his superstitious friends would say; "You need a woman, Kashi-kun! You need something constant, and a girlfriend would be perfect!"

"But I don't need a girl." He told himself softly. He believed it, without a doubt; but there were others in the jonin lounge, and he daren't let them overhear.

Women were fickle, frightening creatures. They said all they needed was chocolate and someone to call them beautiful, but the minute you looked at another woman, they got jealous. They always wanted to TALK to you, just sit and TALK. And the ones who just wanted to fuck didn't want a relationship.

Kakashi had tried women, and men; all the men he'd been with had said he probably wasn't homosexual, not with his drive. Even Iruka, who hadn't known anything of sex until Kakashi had him, had told him that he'd be better off with a woman.

"_One of those really mellow, really pretty girls. You always want dominance, but you always want to fight, too; get a girl who'll let you be dominant, but will give you some trouble in gaining it. Maybe someone like Kurenai-chan, or Kikyo-san. Someone like you; sweet, but with a wild streak. Oh, shit, I'm sorry, I'm going into a speech, aren't I?! Sorry, sorry!"_

Kakashi smiled a bit. Iruka was an idiot, but he was sweet, and though Kakashi had felt no deep sorrow when they split, he had still been a bit sad. You never got over Iruka easy, no sir. That was probably why so many of his students liked him so much, and still kept in touch with him.

Kakashi was glad they were just friends and brothers now.

He sighed and stood, stretching his arms above his head. He had to go finish a few things, then he could go home and THINK.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako had a very odd dream that night.

_She lay in a field of golden flowers. They were no breed that she knew, but they were pretty, and interesting, and their scent was lovely, as well. Sunlight streamed down in shining yellow ribbons, dancing and curling above Ako and the flowers. She relaxed, completely at peace._

_The earth cracked._

_No sounds rang through the air, but she felt the earth under her right hand give way. She sat bolt upright, and gaped at the long gap in the flowers. The ground shuddered, clumps tumbling into that maw of darkness and brown. Ako continued to stare as the crack widened, the edges crumbling rapidly, completely still._

_Something golden and large was heaving within the crust of the earth._

_Now Ako moved, jumping to her feet and running, running as fast as she could. She didn't know why, but she was terrified, absolutely TERRIFIED, and she daren't stay near that crevasse._

_She noticed with a start that there were cats frisking about her ankles, flicking their tails and casting looks over their sleek shoulders, beckoning her onward. She pushed herself harder, determined and desperate. The cats meowed their amusement, pushing their whiskers forward in cat grins. They went faster, until they were simply blurs of black, gray, white, calico, and all the other colors, harming not a golden petal._

_Belatedly, Ako realized that there was another gap before her. She gave out a sharp, despairing cry, and fell to her knees, flailing in panic as the ground eroded beneath her. Her feline guides watched, impassive, as she tried to cling to the edge, but it continued to crumble, and she couldn't get a good grip-_

_**Why do you run from me?**_

_Ako tried to scream, but found her throat was too dry to even produce a croak. A golden paw, eight times as large as her, gently wrapped around her and brought her to the eye-level of the thing beneath the earth._

_It was a colossal cat._

_It inspected her with sad orange eyes, not a hair twitching. Ako whimpered in fear._

_**Why do you run from me, Daughter? **__The cat sighed, giant pink tongue darting out to dance before Ako's face. She stared in startled, amazed confusion._

"_Wh... what did you call me?" she whispered._

_**Why are you afraid of me, Daughter? **__The cat moaned, its tail- no, its TAILS, lashing in agitated misery. __**Did your mother never tell you who your father was? Daughter, Daughter, I have searched and searched for you, but when I brought you here, you were taken by those shinobi... those horrible, horrible shinobi.**_

_A ferocious snarl carved itself on it- HIS muzzle, crinkling the smooth golden fur. Ako trembled in fear. "They... They aren't horrible!" She cried, "They're good! They're my friends!"_

_**Friends? **__The feline snarled, __**FRIENDS?! They will use you, Daughter! They want to control you! They cannot! They shall not! Not while I still live will they have you, my Daughter, mine, Mine, MINE!!!**_

_His two tails slashed back and forth, crumbling the earth, tumbling the cave, burying him and his Daughter for eternity-_

_Ako SCREAMED-_

And woke.

For a breathless moment, she was bewildered by the darkness pressing against her eyes. Then she relaxed, realizing the warmth was her blankets, and the darkness was the natural night, not the unholy press of dirt against her mouth and nose and eyes.

Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered the pain of that crushing paw. Putting her hand to her stinging chest, she froze. Then she sat bolt upright and turned on her small bedside lamp, fear claiming her mind, turning everything fuzzy.

Her fears were not in vain. Blood coated her hand. There were two giant claw marks on her torso. Not deep, oh no.

But they were painful memories of a dream that should not have been real.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**WOW. O o**

**I'm so emo...**

**Review, please!**

**(*The world loves you!*)**


	4. Chapter 4: Play with fire and be Burned

**Chapter 3: Play with fire and be Burned**

Kakashi sat beside the memorial stone, chomping on an onigiri. He knew he should really be having a proper breakfast, or at least get another hour of sleep, but he didn't feel like it. He'd thought and thought and thought until he'd practically thought a hole in the ground, and he now knew that his seventh sense was failing.

He tossed away the rest of the onigiri, disgusted. What was there to fear from this Ako girl?! So what if she was a bit strange and rather passive, she would make a damn good shinobi some day if he had anything to say about it!

Kakashi almost leapt to his feet, fully prepared to take on the day. He tromped purposefully towards the village, confident and ready to take on the day.

The minute his foot touched the paved streets, his confidence dissolved.

Too many, too much, too fast; too many people, too much sensory overload, images and ideas coming too fast. This was why he liked his job; he could grab a mission and spend a week out in the beautiful, beautiful silence of the wilderness. But here, in the middle of the village, there was no place to hide; there was someone everywhere. Like that poem by Shel Silverstien; "I looked and looked for Nobody, but everywhere I looked, SOMEBODY was there!"

Sometimes Kakashi wanted Nobody to be his friend too.

He edged past groups of laughing, happy, chatting people, afraid to get too close. He hated walking past so many people who were obviously friends with each other. Everyone knew everyone's name in this town...

Except, Kakashi didn't know everyone. He was part of some of the most prestigious circles of shinobi in the world, and yet he hardly knew anyone in his own hometown. That's just pathetic, He spat at himself scornfully, You know the names of every dangerous shinobi, alive or dead, and yet you still don't know the name of that nice old lady who sweeps the streets after festivals, all alone.

Let's face it, Kashi, my boy; You're pathetic and worthless.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako told Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji about her dream during morning warm-ups, and showed the girls the scabs on her lower ribs that still stung and itched. Neji thoughtfully continued beating on a log, as Hanabi sketched in the dirt, and Hinata watched Ako, her expression faintly concerned.

"...The Demon... he called you Daughter?" The Hyuuga Heiress asked slowly, as if to make absolutely clear how the parts of the dream fit. "And he was Neko, with two tails? Well... there are tales of the Nine Demons, but everyone knows that only the Kyuubi no Kitsune was ever real, and he was killed ten years ago..."

Ako bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from snapping, "No, the Kyuubi is sealed inside Naruto-kun! And the cat-Demon IS real!"

To calm her sudden irritation, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But... besides him calling me Daughter. He tried to bury me with himself." She shivered and hugged herself. "I know what dreams of drowning mean... you feel trapped. But this... it's... extreme. I can't think of any worse way to die than to be buried alive..."

"There are worse ways." Neji said suddenly, halting his practice and turning to his 'sisters'. "There are worse ways to die. Some were invented by this very clan; some are as strange as those things you call 'sneakers', despite them not being in the least bit sneaky." His eyes were cold, but there was a grain of compassion in them, and he wasn't quite as hard as he'd been before (or was it after?...).

Ako shook her head to rid herself of the self-imposed paradox of knowing what Neji would become. "Yes, well... to be trapped, helpless, unable to breath, not knowing what's around you, beneath you, beside you... everything dark, everything cold, and then warm, too warm..." she was shivering again, though she knew it wasn't cold.

Hanabi shook her hair out of her eyes and stared hard at Ako.

"If you're so afraid of being buried alive, then maybe that's why the Demon tried to bury you with him." She said practically. "You told us he said "They'll never have you, you're mine". It could have been some twisted way in gaining control over you; if he couldn't have you, no one could, and he was going to kill you so no one could take you away."

"But the Demon couldn't be real!" Hinata argued, "Even if he was, why Ako? Why single out a girl who hasn't been introduced to the world except by one family to a select few?"

"He called her Daughter." Neji pointed out, kneeling beside Hanabi. "If the Demon was real, that could be why."

They all looked at Ako.

"I... I never knew my real father..." Ako murmured, the remembered pain of that revelation aching like a hole where her heart should be. "Mama said she married Papa when she found out she was pregnant... they were college sweethearts. Then Papa left..." she sniffled, remembrance sweeping through her like fire; her 'father' and mother fighting, the thrown dishes, the screaming... the resounding slap that had sent Ako's mother reeling...

"_That... BASTARD isn't my child!" Roared her 'father', towering over his crumpled wife. "You want someone to love her?! Do it yourself! Or go marry her REAL father! I've had enough, of BOTH OF YOU!!!"_

_He left, and Ako's mother began to cry. Ako herself was trembling, trembling with fear that he'd come back, trembling with anger that he'd left, trembling with betrayal, the implication that her mother didn't love her echoing dully in her mind..._

Ako sniffled, shoving away the memory and the tears, wiping her moist eyes on her sleeve. "Well... the bastard left, Mama got better, and I never asked about my real dad." She said firmly, her voice rather thick. Her 'siblings' traded glances full of sadness, anger... and pity.

Goddamn fucking pity.

Ako hated pity.

She got to her feet quickly and stretched her arms. "Well. Shall we start?" she asked briskly.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kurenai, Gai, and Kakashi watched in the shadows as Ako and the three other children began their morning routine. The youngsters seemed perfectly relaxed and content, smiling, laughing, teasing each other gently, and whacking each other upside the head from time to time. It seemed Hanabi was the most playful, slapping her family gently almost constantly.

Kakashi, however, eyed Ako more often than Hinata or Neji. She was perfectly relaxed, and her eyes shone a soft, velvety brown, a smile carving slight creases beside her mouth. She laughed and sang short bursts of foreign songs, crooning softly to herself as she practiced, or bawling out songs that made the other three laugh and scold. Her performance was absolutely perfect, as well.

Kakashi rubbed his chin in thought. She could hardly be Earth, and now he saw that Fire was much too aggressive; Water, Air? Not Lightning, she wasn't quite energetic and memorable enough. Water was calm, and flowed swiftly around and above obstacles, wearing away at them until they were gone. That didn't seem to be her, either.

That left Air, and Air fit.

She was creative enough; she was flighty, if her random outbursts were any indication; she traced the patterns of the Gentle Fist technique almost as well as Neji, but twice as natural-seeming. She put a bit more force and energy into it than the Hyuuga children, whose lazy arrogance showed even when they worked hard.

But there was one thing about her that didn't fit; her eyes.

The last time he had seen them, they had been dark, dark as smooth chocolate, or the black mud that the people in Suna liked to 'bathe' in. Now they fairly glowed, a sweet, soft golden-brown that he often came to associate with a contented tabby cat, its cream stomach swollen with tasty morsels. And they were sad.

Now, Elements often defined personalities, as anyone would know: Earth was nurturing, and unable to hold a grudge for long; Fire was passionate, and easily succumbed to hate, sorrow, and anger; Water was calm, almost cold, but with gentle emotions; Lightning was quick, forever changing, but generally cheerful; Air never held to emotion, much like Lightning, but unlike Lightning, which knew exactly what to do with its emotions, Air simply let them out, and never stopped to think.

If Ako was Air, which Kakashi strongly believed, then why did so much pain hide in her eyes? Why were there faint creases that spoke of more frowns than smiles denting her forehead, covered by her bangs? Why would she be so easy with these children, yet so very awkward and anxious with adults?

That wasn't Air. That was more like Fire, that held to negative emotions for a long time.

Some philosophers and experts say that everyone is all Elements, he reminded himself. You yourself are predominantly Fire with a bit of Lightning. Why shouldn't she be Air AND Fire?

Because it still doesn't make sense, he answered himself.

How it didn't make sense, he couldn't explain, not even to himself; but there was something about the girl that wasn't… quite… right. It was the part of her that made his seventh sense tingle unpleasantly, and sent not-quite-so-unpleasant shivers up his spine. He didn't understand it.

And what he didn't understand, he disliked intensely.

Kakashi became aware of Kurenai and Gai watching him watch Ako, and tore his gaze from her and her friends; but not before she let loose a single, clear line of some song that obviously she loved, because her face was rapturous with joy as she sang;

"_I'd like to make myself believe, that planet earth turns slowly, It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep, Cause everything's never as it seems…"_

"Well?" Kurenai asked simply, her voice soft. Ako's singing continued to soar around them, until she was cut off abruptly by Hinata laughingly calling out, "You'll frighten the birds away, Ako-chan!"

"Well what?" Kakashi asked blankly, mind suddenly empty as he was wrenched fully from his thoughts. Gai raised one thick eyebrow in a curiously delicate expression of disbelief.

"Well, what do you think of her?" he asked his eternal rival quietly, nodding towards Ako. Kakashi shrugged.

"Well, she's a good singer." he observed, the sentence loaded with sarcasm. "Pity, that; making an enemy's ears bleed is actually quite useful."

Kurenai sighed and shook her head. "When will you learn, Kakashi-kun?" she asked wearily. "We don't want sarcasm, we want honest opinions!"

Kakashi scowled and shoved his hands in his pockets. "She's good." he admitted reluctantly. "VERY good. I would've thought that, if she'd gone to the academy, she'd already be a chunin." He glanced over at her and the Hyuuga children. All of them were sitting in a circle, eating packed lunches and chatting animatedly.

"Go on, Ako-chan!" Hanabi urged eagerly, "Sing that lullaby for Hinata-nee and Neji-kun!"

Ako smiled, blushing. "Oh, no… it's not really a lullaby, and I don't think…"

"Sing it, Ako-chan!" Hinata urged, and after a bit more prodding, Ako sighed, smiling, shook her head, closed her eyes, and began to sing;

"_Dancing bears,_

_Painted wings,_

_Things I almost_

_Remember,_

_And a song_

_Someone sings_

_Once upon a December…_

_Someone holds me safe and warm,_

_Horses prance through a silver storm, _

_Figures dancing gracefully_

_Across my memory…"_

She began to hum a simple tune, eyes still closed, still smiling, swaying slightly where she sat.

"_Someone holds me safe and warm,_

_Horses prance through a silver storm,_

_Figures dancing gracefully_

_Across my memory…_

_Far away,_

_Long ago,_

_Glowing dim as_

_An ember,_

_Things my heart_

_Used to know,_

_Things it yearns to_

_Remember…"_

Her voice, which had been bursting out in a mellow alto, now sank in volume. Now she looked very sad, and Kakashi felt a bit sad, too, that the song was obviously coming to an end…

"_And a song_

_Someone sings…_

_Once upon a December~…"_

Ako held the last quavering note before letting out a deep sigh. "See? It's not much of a lullaby." she said dully. "I know better ones, happier ones…"

"No." Hinata said softly, "No, not yet. Sometimes, it's best to just sit and feel sad for a bit."

And that's exactly what they did.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako was not surprised in the least when her three friends excused themselves and her senseis melted out of the forest. She simply wiped the sweat from her eyes and stood erect, staring gravely into their eyes.

After singing "Once Upon A December", she had suddenly felt relieved, as if someone had been brought over to her side who had once been a mortal enemy. She had felt a bit more confident, and had noticed the not-unpleasant sensation of someone quietly watching her as she and her family went back to practicing.

Thus, she did not flinch or look away, even meeting Kakashi's gaze for a total of five seconds. In those five seconds, however, she had felt something in his eyes, seen something that searched her from head to heart, inspecting her minutely. She had a feeling that she passed, as Kakashi blinked and said "Hmm. I guess we should start on genjutsu."

The other two looked at him. Gai was silent as Kurenai accused, "You're just trying to dump her on me, aren't you, Hatake?"

Kakashi tucked his hands in his pockets and shrugged eloquently. "Not at all. I think she should start on genjutsu. There are few ninjutsu that do not rely on a small bit of genjutsu, after all. Illusions are a shinobi's life." he glanced at Ako, to make sure she had heard. She nodded a little, sober-faced. She'd expected something of the like.

Kurenai and Gai looked from their comrade to their reserved student, then turned to each other. They both raised their eyebrows, then turned back to the other two.

"Alright." Kurenai sighed, "We'll start with genjutsu today."

Ako nodded, and focused on Kurenai as the two men moved to the perimeter of the clearing. Kurenai sat on one of the shorter training posts and eyed Ako intently for a moment.

"First, clear your mind." she commanded. "You have to meditate, otherwise I won't know how far along you are."

Ako bit her lip, but nodded, and sat cross-legged on the ground, putting her hands palm-down on her knees and closing her eyes. She didn't quite know how to meditate; she could, shakily, call up chakra, but it was still hard for her to grasp that peculiar way of relaxing that helped you slip into mediation. Instead, she tried a different tact.

She began plotting a fairytale in her head.

The young heroine would be a princess—no, a poor farmer's daughter, set out to find adventure. She would disguise herself as a boy, bind her chest, wear boy's clothes, cut her long blond hair—no, no, long lustrous chestnut hair. She would venture out, and meet a blinded knight—no, too cliché. A blinded prince, perhaps? Nah. A blinded demi-god—yes, yes, that would work!

The farmer's daughter, masquerading as a boy, would take in the demi-god, who would know her for a woman, but knew that she was trying to hide her gender. They would go and have adventures, meet unexpected people, do amazing things… and return to the girl's village to marry…

While her mind drifted through the different difficulties her characters would face, Ako felt herself relax. She felt her face frown and smile dreamily of its own accord as she thought up evil giants and touching, awkward scenes where the daughter and the demi-god nearly announced their growing love for each other. She began humming to keep herself company, a strange slew of several hundred different songs, slammed together when she thought they'd best fit.

After a while, Kurenai's quiet voice interrupted her exciting scene that included returned sight and an evil wizard; "Ako-san. Time to wake up."

Finishing her humming on a high, quavering note, Ako opened her eyes and sighed regretfully. "I'll never remember it now…" she mumbled to herself. Already, the details were slipping away, the epic end-battle fading and shredding like smoke on the wind.

Kurenai frowned at her. "You did that very well, but not in the traditional way. What did you do?" the jonin asked curiously.

Ako blushed and ducked her head. "I… I like to write a lot, so I thought… maybe I should try making up a story in my head, and see if that helped." she looked up anxiously, suddenly frightened. "Did I do badly?"

Kurenai laughed softly. "No, no. It was just… different. I wasn't… quite expecting it." Kurenai's eyes flickered to behind Ako, but the girl didn't notice. She smiled in relief, and slumped a bit.

"Now… it's time to actually work on genjutsu…"

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi had started when the red glow began to gather around Ako. He hadn't moved, however, as the glow turned into a semi-transparent mist and drifted lazily across the grassy earth, sneaking up the log where Kurenai sat, rock-still, and lapped at Kakashi and Gai's feet, warm and inviting.

His seventh sense screaming at him in terror, Kakashi stooped and cupped some of the mist in his hand, raising it for a better look. At once, it solidified, turning into a clear, gleaming, blood-red stone; almost as red as the Sharingan that even now spun in his head. The stone was perfectly oval, not a single imperfection or blemish captured in the smooth red. Except for a small pebble at its heart that looked like a heart if he held it just right.

Kakashi frowned, deeply troubled. This was indeed strange. The red mist curled upwards, but did not leave the clearing. Gai was frozen, eyes wide in fear as he trembled with nerves. Kurenai was trying to calm herself as the mist delicately trailed up her arms and tickled her chin. Finally, it seemed the female jonin couldn't take it.

"Ako-san," she called softly, her voice quavering, "Time to wake up."

Ako, whose face had been flickering through expressions so fast it hurt to look at her, stopped humming on a seemingly impossible note, holding it for a while before lack of breath made it fade. She opened her eyes, just as the mist winked out of existence.

She sighed regretfully. "I'll never remember it now…" she mumbled, a dull sadness in her eyes and a small pout on her face. A part of Kakashi, a very small part, smiled. Unfortunately, that tiny part of him was the one that controlled his face. He smiled slightly, feeling the usual condescending attitude descend. He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts and tucked the stone into his pocket.

Kurenai kept her face and voice as smooth as she could. "You did that very well, but not in the traditional way. What did you do?"

Ako blushed and hung her head, making another smile flit across Kakashi's face. "I… I like to write a lot, so I thought… maybe I should try making up a story in my head and see if that helped." She looked up quickly, some anxious emotion dominating her features. "Did I do badly?"

Kurenai smiled a little. "No, no. It was just… different. I wasn't… quite expecting it." she flicked her gaze to Kakashi and Gai, as if to make sure she hadn't imagined it. Kakashi nodded fractionally, and Kurenai looked back at her now-relieved student. She smiled again. "Now… it's time to actually work on genjutsu."

The rest of Kurenai's lesson flew past, and Gai's. Ako was flushed and tired by the time it came to ninjutsu. Kakashi thought for a moment, fingering the strange red stone in his pocket.

"…I think we'll stop for today." he declared. Ako's relieved smile made his heart twinge with guilt, but he drove the emotion far away. There was no reason to the emotion, and he would not succumb to it.

Gai and Kurenai shot him irritated looks, but bent to his command without complaint, saying goodbye and quickly disappearing. Kakashi sighed and began walking away.

"Um… Hatake-sensei?"

Kakashi blinked, and turned. Ako was staring at her feet, biting her lip a little. "Hatake-sensei… I-I don't think… I don't think I'll be able to do ninjutsu." she almost whispered, a blush creeping into her cheeks. Kakashi frowned.

"What do you mean? You don't think you'll be able to start actual ninjutsu tomorrow?" The girl shook her head miserably.

"I mean… I mean, I just… I don't think… where I come from, nobody knows how to access chakra." she burst out suddenly. "No one trains to be a ninja. Mama said I might have a bit of shinobi blood in me, but I never really believed her. And since Hiashi-sama only taught me how to access chakra a few months ago, I know I'll never have good control… and…" tears sparkled briefly in her eyes, eyes that had turned to a silken black. She rubbed her eyes on her sleeve furiously.

Kakashi frowned. How had her eyes changed color?

Without really noticing what he was doing, he crossed the distance between them, grasped Ako's chin, and made her look up. She gaped at him slightly, startled. His frown deepened as a flicker of amber flashed through her eyes, and the color lightened slightly.

"How do you do that?" he asked finally. "How do you make your eyes change color?"

"Wh-what?" Ako stuttered, and Kakashi noticed how much he towered over her, and the blush that was warming the skin beneath his hand.

"Er-" he let go and stepped back, putting his hand in his pocket. "Your eyes. They were really dark, almost black, and now they're, like… ochre." he couldn't really describe the amazing strength of the color, especially when it kept switching between shades. Ako looked very confused.

"What do you mean? My eyes don't change color." Now they were a steady chocolate again, and Kakashi frowned.

"Hmm… must've imagined it." he said lamely, though he knew he hadn't. "Anyway… what makes you think that just because you started training late means you won't be able to do ninjutsu? Even if you don't gain good control, you'll still be able to do the more basic stuff, and there's a lot in the category of 'basic'."

"Still…" Ako muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I just… don't feel like it's going to work…"

Kakashi stared at her with a mixture of amusement, exasperation, and anxiety. He did NOT want to have to try and make some girl he didn't know feel better. First of all, he didn't know how to make anyone feel better about themselves, and second, that damn seventh sense of his was tingling angrily again…

"So?" he heard himself say bluntly. "Just because you don't feel that something will work doesn't mean that it won't. It's when you start THINKING and BELIEVING that it won't work that it won't."

Ako stared up at him for a moment, then nodded, doubtfully. "O… Okay. Okay. I'll remember. Thanks, sensei." she turned and ran up the path to the building, and Kakashi watched her go, strangely sorry to see her leave.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako hummed happily as she hung up her clothes in her closet. She didn't know why; She'd gone to bed the previous night still thinking over Kakashi's words, and today, she was unreasonably optimistic.

Hinata knocked on the open door and entered, smiling.

"Getting cabin fever yet, Ako-chan?" she asked, still smiling. "If you are, good."

"Why is it good?" Ako asked curiously, putting away another cut-up hoodie. She couldn't rouse more than mild curiosity, however; she just felt too content for it, she guessed.

Hinata's smile turned downright mischievous. "Oh… no reason. Just Neji-kun, Hanabi-chan and I got the council to give you a day-pass. You can come with us on a shopping trip."

Ako stared at her, hard, searching for jest in the younger girl's eyes. She found none. A curious buzzing was growing in her ears, and an odd sensation was flooding her chest. After a moment, she decided it must be freedom.

"…Really?" she whispered finally.

"Really." Hinata confirmed, smiling.

It suddenly felt as though Ako weren't in control of her own body; she flew forward with a whoop and hugged Hinata tightly, laughing. "I DID have cabin fever, and I'm glad the torture's over!" She heard herself crow. Then she was tying on the heavy boots she had somehow acquired.

Hinata smiled and slipped out of the room.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

It seemed everyone was out that day.

Ako stared around her, wide-eyed as a child, grinning giddily. This was the first time she'd been out and about in Konoha, and she was bursting with excitement. Why wouldn't she be?! This was an entirely new experience; a city without cars or motorcycles drowning out every noise, no exhaust tainting the air, and everyone so friendly and happy and kind…

She knew they all weren't kind. There were perfectly normal people here who would hurt an innocent little blond boy…

Her smile slipped, but she hurriedly plastered it back in place. If she saw Naruto, she'd try to be kind and nice. She would NOT interfere in this world more than she already had.

Soon, all recollection of Naruto had been washed away by the many sights that met her vision. Hinata and Hanabi wore their hoods over their faces, but Neji walked bare-faced, bargaining with the few stall-owners and shop-keepers, coming away with his original purchase for half the price. Ako was impressed.

And the children…

They skidded through the streets, laughing and yelling and shouting. They slid under women's kimonos, hid in barrels of produce, made faces at passersby from the windows, and two daring boys had climbed a roof and were chucking ripe plums at people's heads.

Ako smiled at them and waved, getting an answering grin and wave, before a plum splatted right in front of Neji. Ako laughed as he swore and looked for the perpetrators. She didn't reveal the boys' location, though.

A small girl sat by the side of the street, a bowl beside her, a doll clutched to her chest. Ako bit her lip, then tapped Neji's shoulder.

"Can I?" she begged, pointing to the girl. The younger boy scowled, but handed her some money. Ako trotted over to the beggar and crouched, holding out the money. She knew it would probably be more than the girl would get just sitting there all day, and she blessed Neji's kind heart as the girl's face brightened. She took the money, and bowed, before scooping up her bowl and running down the street.

When they returned to the Hyuuga compound, Ako was much more learned in the ways of Konoha's streets. Hinata and Hanabi threw back their hoods as soon as they were inside the outer gates, and all four trooped up towards the inner doors.

Kakashi, Kurenai, and Gai stood there, talking quietly. Kakashi spotted Ako first, and raised his eyebrow as she grinned at her senseis.

"Well." he commented dryly after Ako had waved her friends on, "They finally lengthened the leash? I wonder what they're planning."

Ako stuck her tongue out at him. "'They' aren't planning anything, Mr. Conspiracy. Not everyone is planning to kill everyone else, you know."

Kakashi blinked, Kurenai chuckled, and Gai gave a low whistle. "She got ya there, Kakashi-kun." Kurenai chuckled, elbowing Kakashi. He frowned at her, then at Ako, who just shrugged.

"Hey, if you wanna stick to your pessimistic views, I won't try and stop you. But, as my favorite comedian once said," she grinned. _"Always look on the bright side of life!"_ she sang, and began whistling the tune, leading the way through the doors and into the Hyuuga inner sanctum.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Still struggling to rationalize Ako's sudden cheerfulness, Kakashi was lost in thought for much of the time as Gai ran through a few moves with Ako. He did notice, abstractedly, that she was actually quite graceful, in a feline kind of way…

"Ack!" he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair, "Either I'm driving myself insane or Da really is haunting me…"

Unfortunately, Kurenai heard.

"What are you babbling about, Kakashi?" she sighed, waving Ako over. Kakashi glared at her.

"Nothing," he said crisply, "Absolutely nothing. I was merely thinking aloud. You don't need to-"

Ako kicked him in the knee.

"What the hell?!" He yelped, feeling his leg go numb for a moment and collapse. He stared accusingly up at the two smirking females.

"Well, you were being prissy." Ako explained, shrugging slightly.

"And it's your turn to teach, Eternal Rival!" Gai cried, posing weirdly, "You cannot keep handing off the beautiful Ako-chan to myself and Kurenai-san!"

Ako blushed and shook her head wearily as Kakashi climbed slowly to his feet. "What the hell does he mean, 'beautiful'?" Kakashi muttered under his breath, brushing off his knees. Kurenai slammed her elbow down on his spine, driving him to his knees- AGAIN.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" he roared, surging to his feet.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Kurenai countered.

"WHY ARE YOU TWO YELLING?!" Gai shouted.

Ako backed away, several odd emotions chasing each other around in her eyes and on her face. Kakashi paid no attention.

"WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU, BITCH?!"

"YOU SHOULD PROBABLY APPOLOGIZE TO AKO-CHAN!!!"

"WHY?! I DIDN'T SAY SHE WAS UGLY!!!"

"NO, BUT YOU WERE STILL RUDE!!!"

"ETERNAL RIVAL-"

"SHUT UP, GAI!!! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR IDIOTIC 'ETERNAL RIVAL' SHIT!!!"

"KAKASHI, I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING PUNCHING YOU OUT!!!"

"GOOD, DO IT!!! YOU'LL BE DOING ME A FAVOR!!!"

"**ETERNAL RIVAL!!!**"

"**WHAT?!?!"** Kurenai and Kakashi roared, turning on Gai. He pointed to Ako.

"You're scaring our student." he said simply.

All three of them looked at Ako.

Her eyes were black, black as tar, as night, as the Abyss of space. She tried to smile, but it seemed more like a grimace of sadness. "Wh-what? N-no, I'm not… I'm not scared…" But her eyes told the truth.

Kakashi felt all the aggression leave in a rush, the adrenaline fading away, leaving him empty and old-feeling. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the ground guiltily. He didn't know why, but he felt like he should be saying sorry.

Kurenai, shame-faced, beat him to it. "Er, sorry. Sorry. Um… yeah. Sorry."

Ako shook her head wildly, making her hair whip across her face. "No, you don't have to- I mean, I wasn't- it's not like-" she sighed heavily and shook her head again, more gently this time. "I wasn't scared." she said, quietly but firmly.

"Liar." Kakashi mumbled, and braced himself for a hearty smack. But it seemed no one had heard him, or they ignored him. Ako hugged herself, and smiled more normally.

"No, really. I'm fine. I just… I'm fine." Her body-language, however, screamed that she was insecure and frightened, and wishing for someone to hold her. Kakashi almost felt obligated to take on that role, for a terrifying moment. Then he shook himself.

"Right… erm… I guess… it's already six, so…" he said lamely, hoping someone would help him find the words to say "I want to leave".

Kurenai pursed her lips, then sighed. "I want to continue, but Asu-chan will cry if I don't come home soon."

Gai nodded. "I already have a few missions backed up that I need to finish…"

The two left, leaving Kakashi alone with Ako.

After a long, awkward pause, Kakashi decided to say something. But just as he drew breath, Ako burst into speech.

"I wasn't scared. I wasn't. I'm used to shouting. I was just thinking, that's all. I wasn't scared." she glared stubbornly into Kakashi's surprised eyes, and a flicker of fear showed in those pools of black.

A wan smile appeared on the jonin's face. "Yeah. Sure. Just keep telling yourself that; I'm sure you'll start believing it before too long. Um…" he scratched the back of his head, then sighed. "I give up. I'm sorry."

Ako stared at him blankly. "Eh?"

Kakashi scowled down at her. "Don't make me say it again." he growled, shoving his hands in his pockets. "My ego already hurts."

Ako smiled slightly, a real smile. Not a very happy one, but not a fake smile either. "Heh. That's a first. Hatake Kakashi, admitting his ego hurts. I thought you had too much pride."

Kakashi shot her a glance, then sighed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm off. See ya." He began walking down the path, and only after Ako called after him, "Bye, sensei." did he realize it was the first time he'd said anything like a pleasantry to her.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**OH EM GEE, here you go. I'm so bored. XD Please review!!!**

**(*The world loves you!*)**


	5. Chapter 5: Ah, Puberty!

**Chapter 4: A****h, Puberty!**

**ONE MONTH LATER, NYAO~**

"YOSH! You do well, Ako-chan! Someday you may even surpass me!" Gai posed in what he probably thought was a dramatic way, sending flashes off his bared teeth in what was supposed to be a winning grin.

Ako shook her head, suddenly feeling tired. Gai always did that to her, made her feel old and feeble. He had WAY too much energy for an oldster.

"Alright, stop embarrassing her and me." Kakashi growled, rubbing his forehead. He wished his 'eternal rival' wasn't quite so exuberant, but then, he suspected Gai had a soft spot for Ako…

Which was pretty damn creepy.

Kurenai simply smiled and shook her head slightly.

"YOSH! As cynical as ever, Eternal Rival! I shall defeat you yet, Hatake! Prepare yourself! ROCK-"

Kakashi slammed his elbow down on Gai's head.

"Idiot! I don't have time for your stupidity!" he snapped. It irked him that Gai could be so cheerful, even on this day… this day that Kakashi shouldn't be thinking about. He had to focus.

Turning back to Ako and Kurenai, he glared at them. "Right. So, gen- or ninjutsu?" he asked tersely, jamming his hands into his pockets. He wished Ako wouldn't look at him like that, like she knew what he was thinking. It annoyed him to no end.

Kurenai shrugged. "Ninjutsu, I think. I've taught her pretty much everything I know." she smiled as Ako looked at her, startled. "You're a fast learner." she chuckled, mussing her student's hair. Ako grinned, and something twinged in the pit of Kakashi's stomach.

"Hmph." he grunted. "Fine, whatever." he didn't feel like being nice today. His damn seventh sense still wouldn't leave him alone… it wrenched at his gut painfully when Gai and Kurenai went to the perimeter of the clearing, leaving him alone with Ako, who looked faintly anxious.

To calm his nerves, Kakashi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No one existed, except himself, and the steady pillar of warm emotion before him. Ako. Her presence was strangely still, completely balanced. She felt anxiety, but it was only on the surface… she was at peace here, on the battlefield. Kakashi felt himself calm in response.

Gai and Kurenai faded, as he focused on the things he should teach today. Opening his eyes, he eyed Ako, studying the weaknesses in her current stance. She stood with her hands behind her back, her knees turned inward slightly, as if she were afraid. But underneath the façade, she was steady as iron.

Kakashi sighed silently. This was going to be harder than he thought…

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako awaited Kakashi's decision. She knew he didn't teach in the traditional way, both from previous experience, and his announcement when he first was forced to teach her.

"I don't like going through things step-by-step." he'd told Ako, glaring at her sullenly. "If you learn, you learn the hard way. Plus, it'll give you practice in taijutsu."

"Kakashi, you don't mean-" Kurenai had begun to say, disbelief in her eyes. Kakashi shut her up with a glare.

"I do and I will. Listen, kid," Kakashi had turned back to Ako, "If I'm your sensei, I'm going to teach you the way I learned. In other words, no explanations, just fighting."

Ako felt oddly calm as Kakashi closed his eyes. She knew what he was doing, and she wished she could calm herself just as easily.

Actually… can't I? she asked herself.

Ignoring other people's presence had become second nature when she was only a child. All she had to do was think of something that interested her more than other people, and she forgot they even existed.

Ako focused on Kakashi's face, and began wondering about what he looked like under the mask.

The delicate, almost female features she'd seen in most of the speculative drawings on deviantART didn't fit his personality at all, even if he was gorgeous in those pictures. Occasionally, she'd seen a drawing that had felt oddly Right, like it held a grain of truth or something. But now that she inspected the shadows the afternoon sun cast on his face…

She realized that he must be normal-looking.

He couldn't be more than twenty five years old, she reminded herself. Of course he won't look old. But will he look like some high-schooler, like people usually think? Nah… probably not.

So engrossed was she in trying to puzzle out what Kakashi would look like, she didn't even notice when he moved.

Almost instinctively, as she was thrown back by a kick, Ako curled, and when she landed, rolled and popped back onto her feet. Now she couldn't see Kakashi at all-

But she realized with a start that she could Sense him.

Allowing a faint smile to shape her face, she whipped around, and felt her heel slam into someone's wrist. But then the person was gone, and a long whip of flame was coming towards her-

Something red flashed before her, and the words exploded out; **"Halt und noch sein." Halt and be still.**

German, her suddenly numb mind realized, I'm speaking German. When did I learn German?

The flame stopped a centimeter before her nose. She glared at it. **"Feuer, ich befehle Ihnen, Eis sein." Fire, I command you, be Ice.**

Red and orange turned to blue and white; flickering flame became still, cold, and sharp. The whip of flame fell, and shattered, its pieces melting among the grass. Kakashi blinked and stared at her.

"…What the hell was that?" he demanded harshly. Ako flinched slightly, then shook herself mentally and stood a little taller, actually meeting Kakashi's eyes. And she realized with a start that he was scared.

Of course he is, dummy! she scolded herself, You just stopped his jutsu, turned it to the opposite element, and didn't gain a scratch! Of course he'd be scared!

"German." she got out with difficulty. "It's easier for me to focus my chakra into jutsu if I use German."

"I've never heard of German." Kurenai murmured behind her. Ako ignored her, watching Kakashi's face for signals.

He snorted and ran a hand through his hair. "Whatever… next time you're going to spring something like that, warn me." he spat, and the lesson continued.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

"Startled" was not the word for it. "Frightened" wasn't quite it either.

"So fucking scared he almost pissed his pants" was the correct term.

Kakashi knew that his seventh sense was amplifying his fear, but really, what was there to be afraid of? So Ako spoke 'Jer-mon', so what? It wasn't like she was going to turn the jutsu back on its creator or something…

She could've, though. whispered a nasty little voice in the back of his head. She could've sent that flame right back. The power in her voice… you know she could've.

But she wouldn't have. She's a good kid, A part of him argued weakly.

How do you know that? hissed the nasty voice, How do you know she's a good kid? What do you or anyone else know of her except her name and the fact that she dyes her hair? She might have been sent to assassinate someone, and is just waiting for her chance…

Who would she have been sent to assassinate? A Hyuuga cadet branch member? the weak part of him sneered, but it trembled at such a thought.

If Ako were here to kill someone… who was her target? Neji? Hinata? Hanabi? Hiashi? Someone on the city council? The Hokage? Kakashi himself? Someone else?

No, no, don't think about that. She's a good kid, awkward and odd, but good!

But there was his seventh sense, tugging hard at the idea, as if it were the right idea. But it'd been wrong before. He had to believe it was wrong in this, too. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to suspect Ako of something so unlike her as an assassination.

Kakashi sighed heavily, staring gloomily at the memorial stone. "I just don't know what to think…" he murmured. His long-dead comrades had no answers.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

"Ich vermisse meine Mutter." Ako murmured, and frowned. She had found herself speaking in German off and on all day. Even now, practicing her newly-learned jutsu against a log, she found her thoughts drifting to her mother and her language drifting to something she didn't even know.

Hinata looked at her. "What did you say?" she asked, curious. She had been fascinated with Ako's new language.

Ako blushed. "Ich vermisse meine Mutter." she said, more clearly. "I miss my mother. It was just… I was just thinking of her."

"Does your mother know when you were supposed to get home?" Neji asked, stopping his own workout. "I keep telling you, we can get Hiashi-sama to give you an escort home…"

Hinata and Ako exchanged looks. After much debate, they and Hanabi, who was still working with her father, had decided they would not tell Neji where Ako came from. Hiashi, of course, was informed, and had strangely taken it very well.

"I knew you were not from this part of the globe, not with your accent." he'd explained with a very faint smile.

Ako shrugged. "Mother… isn't quite right at the moment." she frowned, hating the lie, but knowing it was necessary. "She gets on well enough… but sometimes she forgets she even has a daughter." that part was actually true, in a certain respect… Ako's mother had been very commanding, as if Ako were just some doll that she could pose in a certain way; politician, model, artist, designer, lawyer…

Definitely not shinobi.

Ako shrugged again. "It doesn't really matter. In a way, I'm glad I don't have to listen to her babble… but she was very kind, when she wasn't having one of her fits. When I said she got better when father left… she only got a little better. She doesn't have fits as often."

And that, she thought with satisfaction, is that. He won't ask again.

But the satisfaction was tinged with regret and fear; Ako wasn't superstitious, but she didn't feel right, saying something like that about her mother, when she would most certainly be in a fragile state of mind, what with Ako having disappeared like that, right off the planet…

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako paid for her lies in her dreams.

_Again, she lay in the field of golden flowers. But now, the cats that had run at her feet sprawled around her, purring and napping. One, with midnight fur and one silvery-white ear, was curled on her chest, his small pink nose resting on Ako's chin, emerald-green peeking through his half-closed eyelids._

_Again, peace lay over everything. Ako knew she should be afraid, but she couldn't muster up any fear. One hand lay on a cat's side, and his purring vibrated up through her fingers, up her arm, across her chest, and pierced her heart, calming and quelling all negative emotions._

_The soft wind dropped, until it was barely a breath of air across her face. A great golden cat, seemingly a mix of all races, stood over her, orange eyes soft and sad._

_**Daughter… you will never belong to only me, will you? **__he asked softly. __**A part of you will always be with your mother, and another with the people of this land… I… I am not a good father.**_

_Ako stared up at him. "Wenn Sie mein Vater, dann sind was ist ich?" she murmured. If you are my father, what am I?_

_**A Demon… a Girl… a Shinobi.**_

"_Ich verstehe nicht." I do not understand._

_The Demon laughed mockingly. __**Of course you won't. You never will. Not until you understand the need of one to hold those they love so close that no one else may touch them. Not until you understand that your mother is also not a true resident of the world she inhabits.**_

"_Warum? Warum ich?" Why? Why me?_

_**Because you are my Daughter, and I love you. **__The Demon cat murmured, nuzzling her cheek. When she put up her hand to touch him, she felt fur softer than silk, and warm as sunlight._

_Then he was gone._

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

A warm red glow bathed the room in rosy light. Kakashi stared at the smooth red stone in his hands.

It glowed, as if someone had caught a piece of the sun and placed it inside the stone. It was also warm, warm as sunlight. If Kakashi stared at it right, he could almost imagine the pebble at its heart as a pupil, and the entire stone as an eye.

It watched him, and he watched it.

Slowly, the glow and warmth faded. With it went Kakashi's awareness, and soon he fell into a sleep punctuated with dreams of giant cats padding through his mind, their crimson eyes watching him always.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Iruka prided himself on being completely ordinary, thank you very much. He prided himself on managing to keep children in line without resorting to yelling (bar Naruto-san, of course). He prided himself on rising early and being the first to start the day; everything was normal when Iruka began it.

However, something told him the minute he got out of bed that something was NOT normal.

Iruka frowned and thought as he got dressed. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something just wasn't right, and that in itself was worrying. Everything was in its place, as they usually were; his headband was on his bedside table, all of his clothes had been cleaned and hung up in his closet, all of his weapons were cared for, and the paperwork had been finished about an hour before he had gone to bed.

What was disturbing the normalcy of his life, then?

He was still pondering this as he knocked on Kakashi's door and called, "Get up, lazy, your girlfriend is waiting!"

Now, usually, when he called Ako 'Kakashi's girlfriend', Kakashi came hurtling out of his room to yell about how Ako was NOT his girlfriend, Kami damn him to fucking hell. Today, however, the room behind the door was absolutely silent. Frowning, Iruka opened the door. "Kakashi-nii?"

Kakashi was still asleep, curled up in the middle of a messy pile of blankets that almost made Iruka shudder. That in itself wasn't surprising. It was the fact that Kakashi seemed to be clutching something in his left hand for dear life.

In all the years Iruka had known Kakashi, never had the older shinobi clutched at anything as if for dear life. Never. Not even a weapon, not even his own sanity. That had caused problems, especially when someone went to the trouble of tipping Kakashi over the edge.

But still…

Iruka seemed to have found the bit of nonconformity in his life. With a sigh, wondering what could make Kakashi act so out of character even in sleep, he stepped into the room,

And immediately felt that he should go no further.

He couldn't explain it; he just knew that he shouldn't come one step nearer to the island of semi-clean in that filthy room. Something in that room scared him, and he didn't even know what, only that it had eyes, it was awake, and it was watching him…

Shaking off the worst of his terror, Iruka gulped, picked up a discarded shoe, and tossed it at Kakashi's head, all the while not moving one step forward or back. Kakashi grunted and pulled his pillow over his head.

"Come on," Iruka croaked, then cleared his throat. "Come on, Kaka-nii-san, get up." thinking for a moment, he wheedled, "Ako-chan's waiting for yooouuu…"

Immediately, the hostility in the room soared, and not because of Kakashi, who was now sitting bolt upright, and was very red in the face. "DAMN IT, NII-SAN, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO STOP SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT?!?"

But Iruka had already scurried from the room, the hatred and blood-lust too much for his poor chunin senses.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi made a face, wondering why Iruka always had to make the assumption that just because Kakashi didn't complain about her as much as other people that Kakashi would actually LIKE Ako. Really, it was the reasoning of a two-year-old.

Swinging his feet to the cold wood floor, he noticed that he was still clutching the strange red stone he'd 'taken' from the clearing, the day that Ako discovered how to meditate. It seemed to send out faint pulses of warmth, and a great deal of killer intent. Kakashi frowned, and set it on his pillow, getting up and fishing for his clothes.

Malevolence continued to spread from the stone, but he was able to ignore it, if he focused on which missions he should take that day. He knew it would be impossible to worm out of that A-rank that Ibiki kept hinting would come his way, but he could snag a few C-ranks to pass the time and remind himself of the stupidity of the human race. It was always humbling to have the duty of making sure some jumped-up merchant didn't stub his toe on his own ego.

He stopped, one hand on the door handle. The stone on his bed seemed to be screaming silently for him to GET THE HELL BACK HERE, DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME BEHIND.

Kakashi leaned his head against the doorjamb and laughed, quietly, a little hysterically. So, his da really was haunting him, wasn't he? That anger and hatred when he turned his back, that rage and loathing when it looked like Kakashi was going to desert him… oh yes, that damn rock held his da's spirit, and he wasn't going to get off easy at all.

And if Ako hadn't made that odd mist thing happen, he wouldn't even have that goddamn rock.

He ignored the little voice inside that whispered that if he hadn't gone against his own instincts, if he hadn't let his curiosity get the better of him, he still wouldn't have the stone…

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako was enjoying that rarest of gifts; a day off.

To date, she had only gotten three days off in the past month. Three days to laze, read, write out her stories, or daydream and cloud-watch. Three days that she had enjoyed to the fullest, losing herself in the golden haze of a day well-earned and well-spent. And this, her fourth chance to do so, was no different.

Lying on her bed, reading the one book that she'd had to sneak from Hiashi's private library (it was orange, just so you know), she was perfectly content to laugh at the silliness and childish writing and skip over any incredibly racy bits. She was amazed that this was classified as a 'porno'; Jiraiya-sensei showed an amazing grasp of the techniques of writing, and Ako aspired to the level of expertise he showed.

Of course, she knew that at heart, Jiraiya was a pervert who'd do anything to cop a feel or sneak a peek; but that didn't make his books any less funny and entertaining.

Just as she was getting to a very good emotional passage, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Rolling her eyes, she emerged from her escape from reality, shaking her hair out of her eyes and glaring up at Hanabi.

"What do you want, runt?" she asked in a bored tone, putting her chin in her hand. The youngest Hyuuga grinned.

"We've got a special treat for you; there's a really nice, really expensive bathhouse that papa reserved tickets for, but since he decided he can't go…" Hanabi waved the pasteboard rectangle under Ako's nose, allowing her to smell the wonderful clean scent of paper. Ako's eyes lit up.

"A bathhouse?..." she mused, closing her book and eying the ticket with interest. "Open air? Separated?"

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Well, DUH! It wouldn't BE a bathhouse if it weren't open air! And of course it's separated, Neji-kun and Hinata-chan would kill themselves before they saw the opposite gender naked."

Ako chewed her lip, thinking. The one thing she had REALLY wanted to try, the one reason she had allowed herself to pack up her things for the move to Japan, was the bathhouses. She was absolutely certain that "Spirited Away" would come close to the truth, but she wanted so, so badly to know what a bathhouse was like…

"Okay." she said decisively, sitting up and tucking her book in her pocket. "Sure, I'll come. When?"

"Today and now."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji were bathhouse veterans; as such, they led the way. Ako followed, feeling rather foolish. Hinata had thrust a small wooden bucket into her hands before they left the Hyuuga compound; it had held soap, a brush, and a wash cloth. Seeing Ako's confused look, Hinata smiled.

"The bathhouses know how expensive it would be to provide soap for ALL of their guests, and so do the bathers. It's just better for everyone if you bring your own brush, too." Ako nodded, and followed her three 'siblings' out into the world.

She had to admit, the area around the bathhouse was scenic enough to be five-star; looking at the place, you'd never have realized it stood on one of the most busy tourist areas in the city, right on the edge of the town limits. This was the posh tourist area; fancy-dressed people strolled down the avenue, exclaiming and snubbing, as was their nature. Ako shook her head at their foolishness.

Neji paid the lady who greeted them. She smiled, tucked the money discreetly into her sleeve, and led the way to a rather large room at the back of the building. The Hyuuga children immediately set down their burdens and began chattering. Ako was the one who turned to the lady and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

The woman smiled back. "Of course. If you need anything, the hosutesu or myself will provide it." she bowed, and Ako copied her, feeling a little foolish. When the woman left, Ako put her things down on the low table and turned to her 'siblings', who were all watching her.

She scowled at them. "What was I supposed to do?! You guys weren't going to do anything!"

"Usually you're supposed to just let them leave." Hanabi piped up. "That's what papa says."

"Yeah, well, you're papa's the head of his clan, so I guess he can get away with it." Ako grumbled, "But the rest of the world is quite happy to thank the service. I doubt that woman likes waiting on people hand and foot, day in and day out."

Neji shrugged. "Does it really matter, when there's a nice hot spring just waiting for you?" his eyes turned misty, and he sighed. "I love hot springs. I rarely get to visit any, and now Hiashi-sama allows me a day off to go to one… it's like destiny!"

Ako rolled her eyes. "Don't go off the deep end, kiddo." she sighed, knocking her fist gently against his head. "Right… so, shouldn't we try and enjoy a bath?"

Soon after, a whirlwind of confusion, instruction, and laughter spun Ako through the intricacies of actually getting into the hot spring, and for a while, she didn't dare do more than let her feet dangle in the pool. The temperature was higher than she was entirely comfortable with, and she was sure she would come out red as a boiled lobster. But the warmth was soothing to her aching muscles.

"I didn't even KNOW I hurt this much…" Ako sighed, slipping entirely into the pool. Hinata and Hanabi grinned.

"That's the magic of the hotspring." Hinata commented, leaning her head back on a rocky protrusion. "The minute you let yourself relax, it starts to soothe even the muscles that DON'T hurt."

Hanabi was so small still, she could swim in the pool, and did. Hinata and Ako simply sat in the warm water and the steam and watched the clouds cross the sky.

"How long are we going to be here?" Ako murmured, feeling a little sleepy with the heat lapping at her gently.

"Well, papa said we could stay the night, if it got too late." Hanabi said, swimming backwards. Hinata smiled.

"You're going to try and make us stay late, aren't you, Hana-chan?" she teased her younger sister, tugging her ankle as she passed. Hanabi stuck her tongue out at her.

Ako simply sighed and smiled. "I want to see the stars come out." she commented softly. "I want to see the moon come up. I don't want to go back for a while."

Hanabi grinned impishly. "Your wish is my command."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

"Heilige Scheiße, das ist schrecklich!" Ako mumbled, voice muffled by the food crammed in her mouth.

"Whaaat?!" Hinata laughed, taking a sip of her sakè. "Why are you always talking in German?!"

Ako swallowed and wiped her mouth on her napkin. "I said, holy shit, this is awesome. This is delicious, or are your taste buds dead?"

Neji shrugged and poured himself more sakè. "It's good, I'll give it that. How you got them serve us alcohol, Hanabi-chan, I'll never know."

Hanabi grinned wickedly and finished her tea. "Oh, I knew you guys would like it… now, can I PLEASE try some?"

"Sure, sure!" Hinata giggled, handing her sister her own cup. "I think I've had enough, though."

"I'm never trying that stuff." Ako muttered, eying the bottle untrustingly. "I hate just the SMELL of alcohol; why should it taste any better than it smells?"

"Because it's goddamn alcohol, woman!" Neji roared, downing his cup and filling it again. Two spots of red had appeared high on his cheeks, and his movements were a bit jerkier than usual. Ako eyed him nervously.

"Ich denke, dass Sie betrunken sind." she commented. Neji glared at her. She rolled her eyes. "I think you're drunk." she repeated.

"YOU'RE drunk on fumes!" Hanabi cried, "I can tell, because you're speaking in German, and you're eating a lot, and you're dancing!"

Ako stared at her. Hinata was beginning to giggle uncontrollably. Neji was muttering about goddamn women and their goddamn foreign languages. "Er, guys? Maybe we should go back in the hot springs. You guys might sober up a bit."

"Good idea!" Giggled Hinata, getting to her feet and wobbling slightly where she stood, "I was all pruney, now I'm not. That's a bad thing, right?"

"Er, right." Ako sighed, steering her younger friends out towards the hot springs, "Looking like a prune is your goal, got it, guys?"

"Yes, ma'am." they all chorused, before heading toward their respective baths. Ako sighed and pushed her hair up out of her eyes, wondering why, oh why they had been allowed sakè.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**Let's end on a "high" note, shall we? ;3 **

**REVIEW PLEASE!!!**

**PS: I leik Mudkips and German. :3 I shall be taking German next year, if they let me, and Ako's affinity shall be later explained. Plus the weirdness of the bathhouse. DO NOT THINK THAT THIS IS RANDOM!!! There is REASON, I swear!**

We are Anonymous. We are Legion. Expect us.

**(*The world loves you*)**


	6. Chapter 6: Mistaken For Another

**Chapter 05: Mistaken for Another**

Despite the steam and hot water, it seemed neither Hinata nor Hanabi were any more sober than when they had entered the hotspring. Ako admitted defeat and retreated to the farthest corner of the hotspring.

Staring up at the sky, Ako noticed that the delicate blue was darkening to a dusky purple. A star peeped out from behind the clouds, and instantly, Ako made the same wish she always did; "Please let me get on with my mom better, and please make it easier for me to make friends." she whispered.

Maybe her wish had finally been answered the day she fell through the mirror; and if that were the case, what had brought her here? Maybe it really had been the cat Demon dragging her through a portal; maybe it had been just dumb luck; maybe all of this was a hallucination.

But would a hallucination include the feeling of curls coming out of her braid and sticking to her neck? Would a hallucination include the drunken, high-pitched giggles of Hinata and Hanabi, hidden in the steam? Would a hallucination include the cool breeze that made the bath so much more enjoyable?

Ako smiled. No. No, any hallucination of hers would not include simple pleasures like the cool wind and the hotspring. Any hallucination of hers would include boiling oil and arctic winds, and the shrieking laughter of a shinigami, or a demon of the western kind.

She was suddenly glad she wasn't hallucinating.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi welcomed the pain as he lifted one of the large boxes of goods out of the merchant's wagon. Most of the other laborers who had been hired were regular, normal civilians; some, like Kakashi, were shinobi, hired to make sure no one stole anything.

He was still amazed that this 'A-ranked mission' had turned out to be carting crates of soap and paper door screens for a bathhouse. Sure, it was one of the most prestigious in Konoha, but really? Protecting SOAP was considered A-rank? Even if it was the kind of soap that supposedly made anyone's skin soft as a lily?

Kakashi hated vanity, and tonight, he seethed with loathing.

But hatred and pain in his back and legs helped keep at bay thoughts of something that he knew he shouldn't be thinking about; but it ached like a sore tooth, and he just had to keep probing it.

Ako. The stone, which continued to pour out blood-lust. Ako. His seventh sense, which burned with warning. Ako. His father's spirit, which rode him like a draft horse, whispering doubts into his ear; _You think you're god? You think you can just ignore me? Ha. Ha ha! You're wrong, boy! You won't be rid of me that easy! And isn't that pathetic; you can't even toss off an old ghost like me... weak, that's what you are! Weak!_

Ako...

Kakashi scowled and shoved her from his mind. He didn't know why she kept popping up in his mind; just that to his subconscious, she was a puzzle, an intriguing riddle. Such a strange girl, and so sad, so sad...

He let his burden thump down in the storage room for the bathhouse and turned to leave, when his keen ears caught a faint voice on the wind;

"Please let me get on with my mom better, and please make it easier for me to make friends..."

That voice was definitely Ako's. But what was she doing at a bathhouse at this time of night?

Kakashi scowled, scratching his head. It wasn't his fault that the damn merchant had claimed the cargo would ride better at night, whatever the hell that meant. It wasn't his fault Ako seemed to be sneaking out of the Hyuuga compound late at night.

So why was his sixth sense urging him to ignore his seventh sense and go root out Ako?

She wasn't HIS responsibility, damn it! His responsibility was to get back to that damn wagon and grab another crate! The faster this mission was over, the faster he could get home and sleep!

But curiosity and pervert-ness soon won out, and he crept into the shadows, hiding his chakra pattern seamlessly, fervently wishing no one saw a shadow within a shadow flitting across to the women's bath. Behind the wooden wall that separated the inner garden from the baths, he could hear someone with Ako's voice humming, and faint splashing, and Hanabi announcing "I'm tired, and I have a headache. I'm going to bed."

"Alright." Ako answered mildly, and with a start, Kakashi realized that she must be right next to the wall. He hung back for a moment, waiting for the humming to begin again. Then he tried to make himself leave and go back to the mission, but his inner pervert was begging for him to look through the peephole he knew was there...

Something seemed to be applying outside pressure to his knees. Odd as it was, it was like an invisible hand was gently pushing on his shoulders and his knees, trying to get him to kneel. He resisted; he didn't want to give in to his inner pervert. It was immoral and disgusting, and he didn't want to.

_**So you have shame... **_Breathed a cold, supernatural voice in his ear. _**Better and better...**_

The pressure increased; Kakashi locked his knees and held out, grimly holding to his last specks of self-respect. He knew that, ultimately, he couldn't win, for something told him that the voice was infinitely stronger than him; but at least he could put up a fight.

_**Feel shame, boy! **_Hissed the voice, _**Feel shame and KNEEL!**_

With a barely audible gasp, Kakashi fell, making sure to make no noise. The power forcing itself upon him did not lessen, but now a finger of it was tilting his chin back, and he realized he was on eye-level with the peephole that his brother Obito had carved out all those years ago.

Memories made his eyes sting, but then present reasserted itself, and he had to fight to hold in a yelp.

_**See her, boy?**_ Murmured the voice-that-wasn't. _**See my beautiful Daughter?**_

Kakashi saw, all right; and what he saw made him want to cover his eyes and hit his head on an anvil.

Ako sat on the very edge of the hotspring, humming to herself and kicking slightly at the water. Starlight gave her hair and skin a faint pearly glow, but moonlight threw her face in shadow. Her only covering was a towel, and while Kakashi HAD seen naked women before, it was much more disturbing when the 'woman' in question was being tainted in your mind's eye with an aura that spoke of blood and evil.

_**Touch my Daughter, and you DIE.**_ Rumbled the inner voice.

Ako's head snapped up, alarm on her face, as she searched for the being that had brought that cold voice that she knew well, though she'd only heard it twice. It echoed like no other voice had, and it chilled her, to think of that great cat stalking her here...

"Neko-sama?" she called out in a low, trembling voice.

No one heard, for Kakashi had been released with the last word, and he was running back to his safe, normal mission, and his safe, normal thoughts as fast as he could.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako waited tensely, but no one answered her. There was no mistaking that cold, subconscious voice, though... what was he doing here?! Here in the heart of Konoha! Not in her dreams, not in her head, in the night, in the city itself...

In someone else's head...

Goosebumps popped up along her arms and legs, shivers racing frantically up and down her spine, icy little feet tapping like tommyknockers on each vertebrate. Now, why would she think it had been in another's mind that the cold voice of Neko-sama had reverberated? She had no proof...

Except the voice had seemed so hollow, and after the echoes had faded, there had been that surge of sudden, despairing fear, and the faintest crunch of shoes on gravel.

Had someone been peeking? Maybe. Probably not. The words had not been clear, but Ako had easily read the tone. Why would any Demon care if a human male was peeking on her? It didn't even have to be a male; but the fear had somehow seemed masculine. But still, the tone had been so fierce, so protective... maybe it had been someone peeking on her.

At midnight? Get a grip, girl, a part of her snapped impatiently. First of all, what hardcore perv would hang around the bathhouse at night, and second of all, why would anyone care about HER? She didn't have a chest, and she only had a big ass because of her hips. Hell, her waist was still nearly as thick as it had been when she was ten! No development had occurred, except the itty bitty bumps on her ribs.

Ako stared down at herself glumly. Even if she was slim and had nice skin, she didn't have a body. Her mother's family's doing. Or her father's. Whoever HE was.

Finally, she sighed and got out of the bath. Water slipped down her legs in ribbons, reflecting rainbows from lanterns and starfire. Tilting her head back, she caught the tail-end of a shooting star, and automatically clasped her hands, as if in prayer, as she whispered;

"Bright star, night star, bring me luck and love from afar."

A tiny prayer her mother had taught her when she was young, but it had always worked. The "love" part, she had added a year ago, and the day after the first utterance, she had been asked on a date. Not that it had started any relationships. Her mother had made sure of that.

Remembering her mother made her heart ache, so she quickly went back inside, put on her pajamas, and got into bed, trying to keep the tears at bay long enough to bury her face in her pillow. She made it, as well.

More dreams...

"_Down in the Boondocks,_

_Down in the Boondocks,_

_People put me down,_

_'Cause that's the side of town I was born in..."_

_The adorable blond boy sang this quietly under his breath, skipping down the street as softly as he could. To wake anyone would incite punishment that would leave fractures and large, visible bruises. To avoid The Look and awkward questions, he must go carefully, quietly._

_He stopped skipping, and crept along the wall of an old building that was mercifully not covered in shit and mud. In fact, this entire neighborhood was sparkling clean compared to his own. Maybe that was why he liked it here._

_Breathing softly, he knocked lightly on an apartment door, and nearly stumbled when it was swept open immediately._

"_Naruto-san!" the tall shadow in the doorway hissed. "What are you doing-" he stopped, seeing how Naruto cradled his arm to his chest. A nervous smile appeared on Naruto's face._

"_Hey, sensei. Can I have an aspirin or somethin'? I saw your light, and stuff, and I thought... well..." his smile began to fade; 'Oh god, he's going to hit me, he's going to hit me again, he doesn't want me here, why did I come, he's going to hit me-' slowly, he began to back away, as Iruka simply stared at him. "Uh...b-but I, I can just, I'll just, y'know, leave, if... if you want me to..." _

_Iruka suddenly moved forward, and Naruto fled, terror blooming in his chest, 'Oh god, oh god, he's going to hit me, he's going to KILL me, oh god, run, run, run run run run run, get away before he hurts you, run run run run run run RUN!!!'_

_Scurrying through the shadows, a small boy with a broken wrist fled his fear. But not completely._

The shadows began to fade, but Ako did not open her eyes. She needed to remember this. She needed to.

She needed to help Naruto before he was too far gone.

But before she could awaken fully, she again slipped into darkness...

"_Who was that?" Kakashi asked lazily, looking up from his Icha Icha. Iruka shook his head, bewildered._

"_That was Naruto... He had a broken wrist, and he asked if I had any aspirin or anything, but he ran before I could say anything. He looked scared." Iruka's forehead furrowed in a concerned frown. "Maybe I'll make him stay home tomorrow. He shouldn't work on a broken wrist."_

"_Oh, come on, nii-san." Kakashi sighed, burying his nose in his book again. "It's not a broken leg. He'll be fine. Or did you forget that he heals faster than any shinobi in the history of shinobi-dom?"_

_Iruka frowned at his brother, now in anger, not concern. "You just don't care. You don't care what's happening to Naru. You're all tied up with your filthy porn and that Ako girl-"_

"_Don't even speak of her to me." Kakashi snapped, head snapping up and eyes blazing. "Don't EVEN."_

"_Why, you ask her on a date and she refuse?" Iruka sneered, rage making him ugly. "Just because you're some world renowned jonin does NOT mean that everyone else is below you! Can't you feel a LITTLE guilt for what's happening to Naru?!"_

"_YOU feel TOO guilty! Why the hell should I worry when YOU'VE already got it covered?!" Kakashi was on his feet, fists clenched at his sides, his book on the floor, upside down._

"_Because it's not just chunin who are hurting him! It's jonin too! You should at least say something to your peers instead of just letting this lie!" Desperation was creeping into Iruka's voice, and his eyes seemed over-bright._

"_Do you really think they'd listen to me?! I'm good for fucking and completing missions, but I don't have the authority to do shit! Even if they WOULD listen, I can't police them all at all time!" Now misery was invading Kakashi as well. "Face it, Iruka, people hate him. They will ALWAYS hate him. We can't help."_

"_I refuse to believe there isn't something we can do!" Iruka snarled, sounding more desperate every second. "We owe it to Yondaime-sama!"_

_Kakashi seemed to shrink away from the name, guilt flashing rapidly through his eyes. "I..."_

"_No." Iruka held up a hand, covering his eyes with the other. "No. Don't say anything. I don't give a shit anymore." he stalked down the hall and to his room, slamming the door so hard that a picture fell over on the coffee table._

_Kakashi stood, frozen, in the middle of the living room for a long time. After a while, he went to the coffee table and righted the picture. The picture of his genin team._

_He sighed sadly, and went to bed._

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Locking his bedroom door, Kakashi stared desolately at the ocean of decay that claimed his carpet. First the problem with Ako's new language, then that disturbing encounter at the bathhouse ('Don't think about, oh god, please don't think about it'), now this fight with Iruka...

And strangely, the only thing he could dwell on was the sharp, metallic taste of fear that had filled him mouth when he looked through that small hole in the fence ('Oh god, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT?!?!'), covering some other emotion, something that hadn't been his-

Love? Compassion?

God, if that had been what echoed beneath the fear, then he was deathly glad the emotion hadn't been HIS. He was glad it had been the emotion of the being that had taken control of him for that short amount of time. Why would he feel love for any girl that much younger than him? That was just... disgusting. Nasty. Just short of sinful.

Shaking his head, Kakashi flopped into bed and stared moodily at the ceiling. Why did these things always happen to him? Why did he always have to be the one receiving so much pain? It didn't really make sense. Such bad luck... because of his da?

_'Yes... yes, I'm here... you feel this? You feel my rage? GOOD! Horrible child, you took my wife, my love, my life, my only light, you stole her, you thief, thief, THIEF!!! Give me back my wife, dammit, my darling, mine, mine...'_

"_**Do not touch my daughter... she is my love, my life, my only light as her mother withers in another realm... lay a finger on my darling daughter and you shall lose more than your hand, Wolf Brother..."**_

Kakashi shivered and turned on his side, burying his face in his pillow. What was it with these ghosts of evil? Why did they turn such rage and hate on him? What had he done to his father besides try and be a good son? What had he done to the Other? WHO was the Other?

So many questions, so many, so many... burning little nodules of starving inquisitiveness, aching for answers... but there were no answers. Only blankness yawned before him. He knew nothing of what came ahead, or what lay behind... what use was he?

Again, no knowledge came to him.

Only emptiness.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako woke blearily, flashes of dreams and segments of foreign conversations swirling emptily about inside her head.

"Vater..." she whispered into the pre-dawn glow, "Mutter..." Tears stun her sleep-gummed eyes. For she was merely a thirteen-year-old girl. A little girl, trying to play at being a shinobi. What was she playing at, living in a house of prestige, hoping to gain favor with one who hated her?

But they accepted her. They accepted and loved her. At least, she thought they did. They let her live; they allowed her to study the shinobi ways. Did she possess the will and personality to kill, though? For was killing not the thing that ninja-dom circled endlessly?

The answer to both was yes.

How many times had she lain in bed, willing herself to sneak into the kitchen, grab a knife, creep through the city, find and kill those who had always made her life so miserable? So many she couldn't remember them all. The only thing that had made her hesitate was a childish fear of death, and a fear of what her mother would say.

But shinobi lived to kill as ordered. Protection was merely a side note. Killing was what shinobi were born and trained to do. And worse... so much worse...

...Ako LIKED the idea of killing.

Sometimes she had daydreamed of sliding a thin blade of steel between an unsuspecting target's ribs... of the ease with which the flesh parted... of the copper tang of blood, the fetid stench of digested products as she pierced an intestine, the slight resistance as she dragged her knife down, through skin and muscle... the soft pop as the heart burst... the silken feel of steaming blood.

Killing, even in her mind, had made her feel so powerful.

Ako cried out, leaping and scrambling to her feet, as a terrible guilt and fear consumed her. Tears sprang to her eyes again, begging to stream down her cheeks. Confusion was added to the mix of deadly emotions, because she didn't remember where she was; where where where was she? This was not the Hyuuga clan house, this was not the cozy and coaxing apartment from her dreams, this was not the familiar and soft house on the floodplain in Michigan-

No. This was a Japanese bathhouse.

An anguished cry tore through Ako's parted lips, driving her to her knees as she sobbed. No mother, no father, no settled home, no one to love, no one who loved her, and the horrible, sickening realization that Death would and forever be the mate she sought.

Why why why why why why why why why WHY-

"Ako-chan? Ako-chan!"

The high-pitched, thin wail of a frightened child cut cleanly through Ako's despair and desolation, as cleanly as her dream-knife through her dream-enemy's belly. Small hands grabbed her, shook her, breaking her revelry of insane self-hatred. She raised bewildered and tear-blurred eyes, to see two terrified little girls kneeling before her, their fear plain on their beautiful child faces.

Instinctively, Ako gathered them both to her bosom and sobbed, grateful for their small arms around her. Grateful that she was no monster.

...Yet.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**Hiashi's P.O.V.**

He leveled his pearl gaze at the four youngsters curiously. Neji was perfectly expressionless; Hinata and Hanabi, however, clung anxiously to Ako's hands, little black-haired, white-faced monkeys. Ako herself looked...

...Old.

Hiashi could not possibly think of a better word. Small lines had engraved themselves beside Ako's mouth, and between her slim brows. Tired, abysmal brown eyes darkened by the second, as emotions were buried deeper, and deeper, and deeper.

"...How was your vacation?" Hiashi asked finally, starting light. Tension seemed to melt off his children, and they smiled as they spoke. Ako, however, stayed silent, gaze distant and far away.

The leader of the Hyuuga commented as appropriate, and sent the two eldest pearl-eyes to the academy for their schooling, allowing the private tutor to bear Hanabi away.

Ako seemed naked, standing slumped before him with no children to prop her up. Her hair, usually braided, was in a simple ponytail, the single white lock curving softly between her eyes, making her seem even more like an ancient, wise grandmother.

"Your senseis wait in the wooded garden." Hiashi told her, and smiled as she blinked. "You are sadly lacking in the area of plants; edible, medicinal, poisonous, and simply pretty."

Ako smiled back, with a glimmer of genuine warmth. "Yes, I suppose." she answered softly. "I can barely tell a daisy from a black-eyed susan." The warm, musical tones that usually filled her voice had disappeared, leaving her harsh, barren, and completely normal.

The effect was unsettling.

Hiashi was ashamed to find that he was relieved when Ako bowed and left him for the garden. Relieved that her sadness and ancient despair was no longer clogging the soft peony-scented air.

"Kanata liked peonies..." he murmured to himself, eyes distant. Kanata would have approved of his decisions about Ako. Kanata would have adopted the girl.

Kanata...

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

"_Every day is so wonderful,_

_But subtly, _

_It's hard to breathe..._

_Now and then,_

_I get insecure_

_From all the pain..._

_I'm so ashamed..._

_I am Beautiful,_

_No matter what they say, _

_Words can't bring me down..._

_I am Beautiful,_

_In every single way,_

_Yes, words can't bring me down..._

_So don't you bring me down today..."_

Ako sighed and hung her head as she trudged down the path. Even to her, her voice lacked luster and strength. But still... she could try and be cheerful. She could try and forget.

It wouldn't be easy, but she could try.

A pleasant surprise awaited her in the garden; a gaggle of young girls, along with their female instructor, were also standing in the bright sunlight, some staring in awe at Gai and Kakashi. Their instructor was speaking to Kurenai, both looking rather pleased.

"Um..." Ako said hesitantly, gaining the attention of the entire clearing. Kurenai grinned and waved her over, putting a hand on her shoulder as she stood beside the Yuuhi.

"This is Ako-chan, the newest Hyuuga acquisition. Ako-chan, this is Kikyo-san, an instructor at the academy, and her students."

Kikyo brushed a curling lock of black hair from her glasses and smiled. "Hello, Ako-san. I won't bother introducing my students; they'll do it themselves, I assure you. Hyuuga-sama has allowed us the use of his gardens for our unit on poisonous flowers, so I and Kurenai thought it best to combine classes." Ako suspected Kikyo glanced coyly in Kakashi's direction as she said this.

The only men stood to one side, Kakashi trying to melt into the shadows, Gai meditating in a most ingenious position. Ako winced at the extreme angle and turned back to the little girls, searching for two in particular. Sure enough, Sakura and Ino stood on opposite sides of the group, staring at Ako curiously. Ako smiled at the children nervously. "Um, hi."

"Right!" Kurenai and Kikyo looked at each other and clapped their hands twice. "Let's start the lesson!"

Ako was soon absorbed into the world of flowers and plants, learning how to build a bouquet of fragrant killers, and adding names to the already crowded confines of her mind. She had some trouble with finding a good complimentary flower to go with one that a girl had told her was called "Cosmos", but after glancing to Sakura, whose bookish face was concentrated and determined, she remembered a patch of pretty pinks that would work well with the soft blue cosmos flower.

Ino had got there first, and stared as Ako picked three different shades of pink and another sweet violet with a little more blue than red. "Why are you combining those colors?" She burst out suddenly.

Ako looked up, startled. "Because. Pink and blue are pretty together. Purple is a nice mix between them. See?" she showed the skeptic ten-year-old her fledging bouquet, which did indeed look rather pretty. "And if I add this flower, the pollen is a natural sophomoric when inhaled, so if someone sniffs them, they'll be knocked out. Easy pickings." Ako smiled brightly.

"'Cept that one contains a counter to the other." grunted a masculine voice behind her. Ako turned to see Kakashi, crouching a respectful distance away, braiding long grass stems and making mini-bolas with small rocks tied to the ends. He met her gaze and turned back to his own project, the tips of his ears turning a (rather cute to Ako) shade of pink that almost perfectly matched the flowers.

"Which one?" Ako asked. Though she wasn't very good with names when it came to flowers, she was expert with leaf-shapes and blossoms. Kakashi jerked his chin towards a small cluster of earth-bound fireworks, ears turning crimson. Soon after, he retreated to the shade of the trees again.

Ako liked to think he was sulking.

Ino wandered away. Several other little girls decided to come talk to the Hyuuga-girl-who-wasn't, bringing offerings of other flowers, all colors but pink. Ako thanked each of them and asked their names, fixing each one with each eager little face. People might have been her worst enemy, but when doing something so absorbing as flower-picking, it was easy to forget that the little girls were anything but... well... little girls.

After about an hour, Kikyo and Kurenai called all the girls to them and asked for their bouquets. Ako tied all seven of hers with one of the mini-bolas Kakashi had left in the grass beside her, and presented them proudly. She thought she saw Kakashi's ears turn red again, and that made her smile.

Before Kikyo took her children back to the academy, Kurenai turned to Ako pointedly and commanded imperiously, "Sing a bit, will you, Ako-chan? So they'll recognize your voice."

Ako stared at her blankly for a moment before recognition dawned on her. Nervously, she shuffled her feet, searched her repertoire, and selected a harmless enough melody.

"_I am unwritten,_

_Can't read my mind,_

_I'm undefined..._

_I'm just beginning,_

_The pen's in my hand,_

_Ending unplanned..._

_Staring at the blank page before you,_

_Open up the dirty window,_

_Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find,_

_Reaching for something in the distance,_

_So close you can almost taste it,_

_Release your inhibitions,_

_Feel the rain on your skin!_

_No one else can feel it for you,_

_Only you can let it in,_

_No one else, no one else_

_Can speak the words on your lips,_

_Treat yourself in words unspoken,_

_Live your life with arms wide open,_

_Today is where your book begins,_

_The rest is still unwritten..._

_I break tradition,_

_Sometimes my tries_

_Are outside the line..._

_(yeah, yeah, yeah)_

_We've been conditioned_

_To not make mistakes,_

_But I can't live that way,_

_No, no!_

_Staring at the blank page before you,_

_Open up the dirty window,_

_Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find,_

_Reaching for something in the distance,_

_So close you can almost taste it,_

_Release your inhibitions,_

_Feel the rain on your skin!_

_No one else can feel it for you,_

_Only you can let it in,_

_No one else, no one else_

_Can speak the words on your lips,_

_Treat yourself in words unspoken,_

_Live your life with arms wide open,_

_Today is where your book begins,_

_The rest is still unwritten..."_

There, she stopped herself, fearful of what Kurenai might say if she tried to continue. The jonin merely smiled broadly.

"I swear, every day, I start to like your odd songs even more." she chuckled, wrapping her arm around Ako's shoulders. Ako almost broke; almost clung to Kurenai's soft, familiar body with all the love in her child's body...

But she didn't. She didn't even really know Kurenai. She only knew that she was one of her best friends.

The children gaped and expressed their awe, thanking Ako for singing, asking if she would visit their class and sing again, saying goodbye with actual regret in their big eyes. Overwhelmed, Ako stuttered out thanks of her own, promises to visit if she could, and goodbyes that were accompanied by actual sadness.

When the little girls were gone, Ako turned, bewildered, to her three senseis. "What was the point of all that?" she asked shakily, the panic that had begun to flutter in her throat fading as she relaxed in their non-existent presence (since they cloaked their chakra even here).

Kakashi and Gai turned to Kurenai, who smiled. "Kikyo wanted to meet Ako-chan. She had gotten an invitation to use the gardens whenever she wanted. Her kids were bored. Thus, a rendezvous."

"And thus, an hour of gawping." Kakashi muttered, twirling a mini-bola around his finger. "I would've smacked some of those kids if Kikyo and YOU hadn't been here."

"And me!" Gai chirruped. Everyone ignored him.

"Well... can we not do anything like that again?" Ako asked hesitantly, "Kids... scare me, I guess."

"I didn't see you being scared." Kurenai pointed out, amused. Ako stuck her tongue out at her.

"When they didn't try to suffocate her, yeah, I'm sure she wasn't- isn't- scared." Kakashi corrected himself.

"Geez, grammar Nazi." Ako scolded playfully, making a face, "You make it sound like kids are always hanging around me. And you should change didn't to don't, if you're going to say isn't instead of wasn't."

"NOW who's the grammar Nazi?" Kakashi growled, tugging Ako's ear in punishment.

Kurenai rolled her eyes.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Strangely, Kakashi was at peace with the fact that not only did Ako need to interact occasionally with other children, alibi younger than her, but she needed a little rest from just two guys and one extremely masculine fem. Kikyo and her girly little students had given a wonderful insight into what Ako might have become, had she been left with women for most of her life.

Kakashi shuddered at the thought. Better a shy tomboy than an explosive girly-girl.

He watched covertly as Gai showed Ako several new techniques, doing little dances when she got it right and making her laugh so hard she had to sit. Kurenai simply smiled broadly, gathering little posies and setting them off to the side. Kakashi sat and braided stems, any long stem, thinking absently about how Ako's ponytail, reaching nearly to the small of her back, would be so much prettier in a braid. Especially with some sort of blossom in it.

He shook himself mentally, averting his eyes hurriedly, focusing on the thin band of green and tan that was his current hands-are-busy project. If he wasn't working on a hands-are-busy project, he felt useless and restless.

A swallow fluttered down onto a branch above Kakashi, eyeing him with beady little black eyes. Flicking his gaze to the blur of green movement that might have been a man and the small girl who sat, grimacing and making odd little noises that seemed a little more pleasant than screams, the swallow chirruped in decision. Taking wing, he circled once before landing.

Ako started as the bird landed so close to her, and quickly stopped laughing, breathlessly anticipating a peck, or a flutter of feathers as the swallow took off again.

Instead, he cocked his tiny feathered head and chirruped brightly before hopping closer, inspecting Ako with oddly intelligent eyes.

Even Gai froze.

Kakashi held his breath as Ako oh so slowly lowered her hand for the bird to step on, if he wished. The swallow let out a short chord of happy trillings and stepped daintily on to her hand. Ako smiled, and Kakashi wondered why his heart was pounding like this; like it only had when he was a kid.

The bird leaned forward and pressed the tip of his beak gently against Ako's lips before taking off, carefully not to clip her with his wings. Ako laughed, and Kurenai grinned, and Gai chuckled, and Kakashi lowered his eyes, heart pounding like a child's.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**8D Love y'all.**

**(*The world loves you*)**


	7. Chapter 7: Perhaps Another Chance?

**Chapter 06: Perhaps Another Chance?...**

Laughter was seldom in the Hyuuga household. Thus, when laughter continued to ring out every day at around the times when Ako was with her senseis and her "siblings", several took it as an omen that something was going to happen.

No one knew if it were a good omen or bad. Laughter was for small children, not for the Heir and her small family court. Especially not for a thirteen-year-old girl, who should have been married away at twelve. But then, she was apparently training to be a shinobi, so no one pressed the marriage issue. And besides, she wasn't even an official Hyuuga member.

Was she?

Whispers echoed among the laughter, whispers that were often interrupted; the children of the Cadet branch wanted to play with their parents like they had when they were little; they wanted to be held; they wanted to be allowed to laugh, like the four (or was it eight, or seven) other people, behind the walls, inside the Forbidden Confines.

The whispers began to come out only at night, or in places children weren't allowed. Some were uneasy; "This isn't normal!" one woman shrilled to her sisters, "No one should laugh like that! Such an abominable show! Emotions are not meant to be aired daily!"

Some liked the change. "But think of the children," protested the woman's eldest sister, "My two boys have never been in better moods; even Kenya is less fussy about nursing! This is good! The children are happy, and everyone with sense is too."

Inside the main house, tension was high. Most disapproved, especially when Neji and Hanabi began allowing other children into their "club". Several appealed to Hiashi, and all of them heard the exact same thing; "Leave the children be. They cause no harm."

Oh, but when it was found out that the Heir was playing with SERVANTS' children...

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako was teaching the kids around her how to play kickball.

"See, the pitcher, the guy who throws the ball, stands here, in the middle of the diamond." she explained, scuffing the ground in the meadow garden to indicate a small pitcher's mound. "The batter, or the kid who kicks the ball, stands at that tree. Hinata-chan, could you demonstrate?"

The Heir willingly did so, causing a few servants' children to gape.

"Neji, you stand behind her. You're the catcher, the one who catches the ball if she misses it." Neji did so, not at all sullenly. "Hanabi-chan, you're still kind of short, so you be outfielder, so that if the ball goes up, you can still catch it, okay?" Hanabi nodded and trotted a ways past the rock that Ako had dubbed first base. Ako turned to the small group in front of her.

"Okay. I'll be pitcher first, so I can show you how to pitch. Who wants to be on Hinata-chan's team?" Exactly half the children raised their hands. Ako smiled.

"Excellent! Line up, a little away, so you don't get hit in the knee or something if someone pitches the wrong direction. The rest of you, choose a base or an outfield. If the ball comes towards you, catch it, and if you're an outfielder, throw it to a baseman. If Hinata-chan, the kicker, kicks a valid ball, as in, within the confines of these two sides of the diamond," Ako pointed out the lines to first and third base, "Then she runs to first base. If no one has the ball by then, she either runs to the next base or stays where she is. The next kicker, um..." she looked at the boy inquisitively.

"Kon." he offered, flushed with pleasure that she would ask.

"Kon, you stand in front of Neji. Go on, Hinata-chan, go to next base. See, if you get a valid ball, you go to next base, too, but you do get three tries. If, after three tries, you don't make a kick, the next kicker..."

"Momo."

"Momo takes your place. The teams switch when the kickers have all kicked. Got all that?"

General cries of agreement. Ako grinned. "Alright! Line up, let's get this game going!"

They had gone through three rounds, two fist-fights, and one yelling match before Ako glanced at the sun and bit her lip. "Aw, damn. It's already been two hours? How many of you have chores or lessons?" Everyone raised their hands reluctantly. "We'd better scatter." Ako sighed regretfully. "C'mon guys, let's head in. Don't want Hiashi-kun to gut us all."

Cries of despair and anger filled the air as the children dragged their feet, moaning sadly, back to their lessons or chores. Ako put her arm around the girl Momo's shoulders, seeing that her chin was trembling.

"We'll play again tomorrow, 'kay, Momo-chan?" she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Momo grinned and hugged Ako suddenly before taking off like a shot to hurry to tomorrow. Ako only smiled.

Upon arriving at the main house, she discovered that her senseis had arrived some time before.

Kurenai seemed surprised when Ako ran forward and hugged her tightly. "Well!" she said with difficulty, "Well."

"Well?" Gai asked, bewildered by Ako's behavior.

"Well what?" Kakashi asked lazily from the branches of the tree in which he reclined, like a young emperor, secure in his power, pampered and indulged. Until he looked and saw Ako hugging Kurenai. Then he hastily looked away, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm the wild beating of his heart, for what reason, he knew not.

"Sorry, sensei." Ako mumbled, not removing her arms. "I was just playing a game, and then I remembered that we had to stop and come back."

"Who's we?" Kurenai asked curiously, tentatively running Ako's braid through her fingers.

"Me, Hinata, Hanabi, Neji, Momo, Kon, and all the other kids. Well, not all, most. Not even most." Ako sighed heavily and then reluctantly let go, stepping back and looking at her senseis. "We were playing a game from back home. I used to hate it." her eyes felt rather hot and dry. "It's a lot different when you're playing with friends instead of stupid people in your phys ed class."

"What's phys ed?" Gai asked blankly. Ako smiled slightly.

"Physical Education. Where fat perverted men who claim to have been in Major League baseball make little boys and girls run so they can look at their butts. Never, ever take Physical Education, if you can help it."

"Sounds like something Gai would do." Kakashi hummed, cleaning his nails with a kunai, ignoring Gai's angry roars, but not Ako's brief, small smile. For some reason, his stomach wriggled happily.

He instantly squashed the happiness. It wasn't his. It was planted, and so he must destroy it. To take his mind off the feeling, he leapt to the ground, stood straight, and glared at Gai, meeting him eye for eye.

The green beast began to yell, blinked, looked away, looked up, lowered his eyes. Kakashi continued to glare, bending all his impossible mental power on the poorly defended taijutsu master before him. Gai didn't even bother trying to fight back a third time.

Kurenai was glaring at Kakashi, too. "Asshole." she hissed, narrowing her eyes. But when he bent his gaze on her, she had to make an effort not to break.

"Um... Kakashi-sensei?" Ako asked, breaking his attention. He blinked, looked at her, looked away, embarrassed.

"What?" he demanded gruffly.

"Nothing." Ako turned to Kurenai hastily. "What are we doing today?"

A thin keen split the air, but even as Kakashi flinched instinctively, he realized no one else had heard it. The red stone in his pocket continued to keen, begging for attention, pulsing sickening waves of dizzying sorrow and loss. Kakashi fought to hold in his breakfast.

Ako blinked, and almost turned towards the sound... But then she turned back to Kurenai. The keening soon faded.

"We'll just work on basic combinations; ninjutsu and taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu... maybe we'll combine all three, eventually." By eventually, of course, Kurenai meant this afternoon. Ako nodded decisively, and Kakashi felt relief when the sorrow from the stone slacked off.

He should throw it away, he knew, he really should... but somehow, whenever he thought of that, he remembered that maybe, one day, this little passage between the Demon's mind and his own would open an actual door, and he could find out what Ako REALLY meant to it; what part she played on the Demon's shogi board of fate. Although that sounded incredibly like a Hyuuga's view on the world.

And also, it was a comfort, to hold a source of pain and know that it wasn't human. That he WASN'T favored by any force that was inhuman. That he wasn't some Chosen one, like so many thought. That he was just an incredibly awesome ninja with skillz that blew people's minds.

Ako, too. She made him keep the stone.

Had he not taken the stone from the red mist that she had raised, on accident, but still, she had raised it? If not for her, her strangeness, her odd-ball ways, he would not be HIM. As a result, he was a little grateful for her.

No one brought Kakashi out of his thoughts. He brought himself out, as a tiny raindrop splattered his shoe. Instantly, he awoke and looked to the sky. A mass of thunderous, dangerous gray cloud was swirling and sluggishly creeping over the sky, heavy with child. Rain-children.

Ako cried out in delight and raced ahead, entering the clearing just as a downpour began. Just for her.

Kakashi, Kurenai, and Gai hung back, under a thickly-endowed oak, watching Ako stomp in mud puddles, laughing, turning her face to the sky and catching raindrops on her tongue, skidding on purpose and throwing up sheets of muddy water. The grass was soon plastered. Everywhere else in the Hyuuga clan compound, cries of distress and anger filled the half-liquid air, but Ako laughed, and laughed, and laughed. And soon, Kurenai was laughing too. And then Gai.

Kakashi did not laugh.

Kakashi watched the rain pour; he watched his young student romp in the essential for all life. He watched, but did not react, at least outwardly. Inwardly, a war was waging.

Part of him wanted to grab Ako and drag her under cover, didn't she know that she could get pneumonia?!

Part of him wanted to crouch in the relative safety of the oak and sleep, or read, or meditate.

Part of him wanted to tear off his mask and join her, and catch raindrops on his tongue, and send up sheets of muddy water.

Part of him... wanted... to do nothing. To simply stand and watch. To observe. Like Ako was some intriguing specimen in a zoo.

He was disgusted with himself.

Suddenly, Ako barreled back under cover and beamed at her senseis. "C'mon, c'mon! It's no fun, playing by yourself!" she gushed, grabbing Kurenai's hand and dragging the jonin out into the rain. Kurenai laughed and willingly joined Ako, beckoning for the men to follow. Gai jumped right into the girls' game of tag, all three laughing.

Kakashi didn't want to, but he stepped out into the rain.

Instantly, all his emotions seemed swept away by the pounding of the rain on his head. He tilted his face towards the sky and saw lightning flash by, resplendent in yellow and white, a touch of blue after-glow burning into Kakashi's eyes. He smiled as thunder rumbled. For some reason, he was reminded of the games of tag his two best friends had played, dragging him by the wrist, trying to get him to play with them.

And then Ako grabbed his wrist. "C'mon, sensei!" she cried, eyes glowing golden with joy. "Gai-sensei's it! C'mon, before he catches us!"

As if in a dream, Kakashi joined the game, dodging Gai skillfully, and when Gai tagged Ako, he dodged her just as well, and Kurenai. It seemed it was a circle of tag, and Kakashi was only the ultimate challenge; something to try for, but not quite get.

Thunder rumbled, disturbingly close. Kakashi's head snapped around, and he paused. Kurenai took advantage and smacked his forearm. "No tag-backs!" she crowed, dancing out of reach, "You're it!"

Kakashi blinked, suddenly feeling lost. What did It have to do? Chase people? Well, Kurenai had hit him, so did he have to catch someone? What had Obito and Rin done, during their summer games?

"I..."

Lightning, cutting the air like a knife. The rain was becoming heavier, and Kakashi could see Ako's visible shivers. The other three were watching him expectantly.

"I think... we should stop." Kakashi said, though he was nearly drowned out by the thunder. "I mean... what if... what if lightning struck a tree around here?"

Ako pouted, but seemed resigned. "Hiashi-sama's gonna kill me." she sighed, "I'm all wet and I'll probably have a cold."

"We didn't work on anything today." Kurenai sighed.

"YOSH! Maybe Hiashi-sama will be kind enough to allow us the use of his bathhouse! Then we may continue the lesson in an indoor practice court!" Gai cried, spinning about and falling in the mud. Ako giggled and shook her sopping hair out of her eyes.

"Then, let's go in." Kakashi said, feeling a little regretful. They began to troop back to the house, sometimes talking, sometimes not. Ako slipped a little and grabbed Kakashi's hand.

She didn't let go until they reached the house again. And for some reason, Kakashi was glad.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako and Hinata sparred while their senseis sat off to one side, talking about their progress. Hiashi was discussing with Kurenai if Hinata could also be put in their care, at least when she came home from the academy each day. Neji watched the two girls intently, determined to learn something.

Ako went easy on her little sister. She didn't want to hurt her too badly; that would be horrible. But she also didn't want her to win. It was frustrating, trying to balance love and pride. What would her mutter have done?

Probably yelled for Ako to stand still, she was messing up her braid!

A bead of sweat rolled down her nose and flung itself into the void as Ako cartwheeled backwards, over a leg sweep, and snapped out her foot, catching Hinata's shoulder. No sound escaped either girls' lips; there was only the murmuring of the four adults, the patter of the rain, the rumble of thunder, and the thump of flesh on the wooden floor. Such zen surroundings made Ako feel much better about showing off the martial arts she had learned back in America. It was actually quite useful to get in a punch or kick or block that Hinata only half-recognized.

The ten-year-old suddenly dodged Ako's guard and socked her in the stomach. Ako managed to hold in her breakfast until Hinata danced a few feet back. Then she puked.

"Ah..." she said, "...Damn."

Hinata seemed alarmed. "Oh... oh, no! I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't--" Hinata stopped as Ako started to laugh, wiping the bile from her chin on her sleeve.

"Nah, that was good. You could've killed me as I puked. Unfortunately, you're too nice." Ako grinned briefly before looking around at the four adults. "Um..."

Hiashi sighed and beckoned a disgusted looking servant. He murmured an order and stood as the servant scurried away, looking rebellious. "That's enough. Hinata, Ako, go change. I will be meeting with our guests for the rest of the day; you have the afternoon off."

Both girls bowed before scampering from the room, babbling at the same time to each other about what they had each done at lessons. Ako only glanced back once, to see Kakashi watching her, a calculating look on his face. She averted her gaze before she blushed.

Hanabi was lying on her small deck-area, watching the rain fall. The door was open behind her, getting her and Hinata's room wet occasionally when the wind blew right. The minute her elder "sisters" entered the room, she was on her feet.

"What did you guys do today?" was her question, and soon all three girls were trading tales. Neji knocked and entered some time later, and they spoke of his new genin teammates; he was meeting his jonin sensei the next day. Ako smiled to herself and gave Neji a good-luck kiss on the cheek before she retired for bed.

"You'll need it, with the sensei YOU'LL get." she giggled with a wink before trotting to her room.

Perhaps the Night decided she deserved a bit of a rest; her dreams were simple, and enjoyable.

_She wandered the house, vaguely aware that everyone else was gone; she wasn't sure why, she only knew that no one would be home for hours. Curiosity pulled her immediately towards Hiashi's scroll room._

_Picking a scroll at random, she read it extremely quickly, and put it back perfectly. This continued for some time; the quiet of the library, the dusty smell of old, limp paper and new, crisp scrolls, the perfect golden afternoon light playing across the wooden floors and shelves._

_She found a scroll that _felt_ light and new, but _looked_ old and overused. Pursing her lips in her Librarian Face, Ako opened the scroll._

_There was a picture on it. A painting, really. Perfect in every minute detail, right down to the individual hairs on the animals and humans. Ako leaned forward, frowning, trying to see it better._

_There was a beautiful black woman, hair tightly curled, shaved so well it might not have even been stubble. She was posed in an aggressive attitude, strong features soft, loving. A black panther stood beside her, in much the same pose. Their eyes were gleaming gold._

_Next was a boy, a man really, perhaps a Native American or of a people indigenous to the Latino nations. He grinned as he posed like a stalking wolf, his silver lupine counterpart in exactly the same position. Their eyes were a brown so soft and beautiful that Ako liked them both immensely, although not as much as the sleek black woman and her sleek black cat._

_Another wolf, this one posed in a capering jig. His wide jaw was agape in a lovable grin, one silver eye, one red. Ako kissed the parchment where the wolf's nose was painted, somehow moved to show her affection for the fawn-coated animal. It did not occur to her that he seemed familiar._

_Across from the second wolf was a second cat, a brindled gold and black, as thin and long-legged as a cheetah, as strong-bodied as a lioness. Coy eyes flicked a glance to the second wolf, eyes the color of the dark Abyss. Ako felt uncomfortable when she looked at it, but it made her smile, just the same, to see the tail curled so flirtatiously. The fawn wolf seemed to have eyes only for the gold-and-black cat._

_The last pair took away Ako's smile._

_A man. Long in face and hair. Eyes deep set and crimson as blood. The cat who sat on its haunches beside him had fur the color of the sun; a yellow so bright it looked white. They both had the same air of sadness, of majesty, of sensual, unconscious beauty. Ako did not like them at all._

_Put these five, or really, eight paintings on one page, in a circle that one's eye jumped across and between and through, and the effect was unsettlingly eerie, in a way Ako could not understand or describe. She spent more time pondering the brown wolf and the brindled cat than any other, however; Why, oh why did they look familiar?_

_The dream faded, and darkness took the world._

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Kakashi was on cloud 9 for much of the night, remembering how Ako's fingers had twined so easily with his, small girl and old man, innocence and corruption. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was.

Iruka noticed his cheerfulness. Noticed and interpreted.

"So... I guess you forgot what tomorrow is?" he asked uneasily as Kakashi chugged straight from the orange juice jug, standing in the open fridge door.

After heaving a gasp and looking in distaste for something nummy to eat, Kakashi put the cap back on the juice and put it away again. "Probably." he hummed, slamming the fridge shut, "What's tomorrow?"

"Your birthday."

"So?"

"So..." Iruka scratched the back of his neck and winced as he leaned on the door frame into the tiny kitchen of their shared flat. "It's the anniversary of your father's suicide."

"Oh." Kakashi's happiness deflated. Leave it to Iruka to ruin his mood, wrong though he was to enjoy it. "Right." Then he actually thought about it, and his thoughts made him smile. "Who gives a damn?"

Iruka blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Who gives a damn?" Kakashi repeated patiently, leaning on the table, examining the spaces between his spread fingers and wondering how well Ako's fingers would fit between them. "I mean, it's only my old man. It's not like it's the first Hokage, when everyone will be out wearing black and not talking."

"But a lot of people WILL be doing that," Iruka reminded him, "And usually, you join them."

"Uuuuusually." Kakashi agreed, inspecting his nails. "But not this year. This year, I'm going to do better. This year, tomorrow, I'll drink myself drunk and sing sappy love ballads with Genma and Raidou and Hayate outside Asuma's window at one o'clock in the morning. We will piss in some old Mike's Hard Lemonade bottles and resell them to the bastards in the Interrogation office, then refer Ibiki-kun to Dr. Pissinstool."

"Dr. Pikkintu." Iruka corrected him, "It's Pikkintu."

"Pikkintu, Pissinstool, he's still an old fart who needs to meet a REAL sadist." Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets and strode past Iruka into the living area, flopping on the couch and switching on the TV, idly wondering what Ako might be doing. Damn, he really needed to stop thinking about her.

There was a Nō play on, but Kakashi didn't feel like it. There was a lovely little lady selling jewelry, but her hair was violet, and Kakashi really felt like black-haired women. The news? Nah, all they'd have would be the weather and the goings-ons in foreign countries and Iwa troop movements, which were rather obvious when Iwa shinobi kept popping up on the borders and silently disappearing again.

Iruka balanced his elbows on the back of the couch and put his chin in his hands. "So... you don't care anymore?" he asked curiously. "About your birthday being the day your dad died?"

"Nope!" Kakashi confirmed cheerfully, flipping channels. "The asshole had it coming."

Iruka stared down at him for a moment, then turned back to the TV. "...Y'know... several students asked me about you." he said carefully. "They asked how old you were turning. One asked if you were single."

"I hope you told them I was fifty and gay." Kakashi commented lightly, thoughts drifting back to Ako. He pulled himself away with a tiny shake of his head.

"I said only the truth. You're going to be twenty-six and you're a single bisexual with a taste for biting." Iruka told him stiffly.

Kakashi stared at him in awe.

"...You are HORRIBLE!!!" he gasped, remote slack in his hand. "Man, I hope that scared them off!"

"Well..." Iruka looked vaguely uncomfortable. "The one who asked me if you were single asked if we had... been together. I explained how gossip spreads, and she believed me. But she looked like she was going to find and rape you if I gave her any more info, so I told her to get back to work."

"She liked the idea of me biting?" Kakashi mused, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... how old was she?"

Iruka slapped him.

"HEY! It was just a question!"

"You're sick." Iruka informed him coldly. "She's ten years old and from a highly unstable family. I wouldn't be surprised if biting is how they show affection."

"Well, ten years old is WAY too young." Kakashi allowed, "Although, if she were fourteen, I might- SIXTEEN, FOR GOD'S SAKE, I'LL TAKE SIX- EIGHTEEN?! AAAAAGH!!!"

When Iruka stopped punishing Kakashi, the jonin only had enough strength to crawl into bed and pass out.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**Uh... I be sorry. It's easier to just pump 'em out when they be quick to finish. BTW, if anyone who reads this likes KakaNaru and hasn't yet checked out my other profile, Narukashi666, please do! I need a few more feedbacks, and I'll be happy. :D Love y'all!**

**(*The world loves you*)**


	8. Chapter 8: Sometime Next Week Maybe

**Chapter 07: Sometime Next Week**,** Maybe**

Ako woke and stared at the ceiling, feeling as if she should remember something, but not knowing quite what. A dream? Something someone had said to her? She couldn't remember.

The morning was cool and breezy, typical for September. Ako realized her birthday was coming up in November, and felt herself smile. Today… something about today made her happy and excited, but she couldn't remember what.

"What's the date?" she asked Neji as they, Hinata, and Hanabi warmed up for their various lessons of the day.

Neji had to think about it for a second, stretching his arms. "It's… the 15th of September." He replied.

The date clicked in Ako's head, and she grinned. "Ah. I see. Thanks."

'Kakashi-sensei's birthday! Ha, I can't wait! I get to embarrass him! And… oh, poo, Gai-sensei won't be here because he's Neji-kun's jonin-sensei. Damn.'

"Tell your jonin sensei that his eternal rival is now twenty-six and twice as good at taijutsu." She told Neji with a grin, "He'll know what you mean."

Neji frowned curiously, but nodded. Hinata and Hanabi grinned too. They knew what Ako was doing, what with her knowledge of the future. (AN: Damn, that sounded cheesy.)

After a bit, the two elder Hyuuga children left for the academy. Ako and Hanabi worked on a 100,000 piece puzzle, and had it half-way done when Hiashi called Hanabi for lessons and Ako for a brief talk.

"Gai-sensei has professed that he has been ordered to take on a genin team," Hiashi informed Ako, "But he says that since he didn't quite have much left to teach you anyway, it would be better for you to stick with Kurenai-san and Kakashi-kun for a while. He will still be a part-time teacher for you, however." Hiashi studied Ako's face as she smiled.

"Okay. So, Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei-chan will still be teaching me?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Thank you!"

Hiashi shook his head and chuckled as Ako skipped away to meet her senseis. "That girl is unshakable." He muttered to himself, drifting to his library.

Ako smiled when she caught sight of her senseis. Kurenai was watching the birds as Kakashi sat in a tree and read his books. Such a precarious perch. Didn't he know he could fall too easily?

"HEY, OLD MAN! KURENAI-SENSEI!" Ako yelled, waving as they looked at her. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT TREE? I THOUGHT YOUR ARTHRITIS WAS TOO BAD!"

"I'm not THAT old!" Kakashi cried indignantly, "I'm only 26!"

"You're still old to me." Ako told him, sticking her tongue out. He scowled and turned back to his book. Kurenai laughed and mussed Ako's hair.

"C'mon, I have a new genjutsu idea I want to try out." Kurenai chuckled, leading the way down the paths. Ako reached up on tiptoe and poked Kakashi's elbow before racing after the female jonin. Kakashi rolled his eyes, carefully marked his page, and beat both females to the training area. Ako pouted.

"Hmph. Meany."

Kakashi shrugged, hoping his ears weren't really turning red. 'Aww, she's so cute! Wait, what the hell? NO! Damn it, NO!'

"**She IS adorable, though."**

'Shut up, asshole.'

"**As her father, I reserve the right to-"**

'I said SHUT UP!'

And, amazingly, the voice was silenced.

Kakashi blinked and shook himself mentally as Kurenai briefed Ako on her idea; since Ako hated making eye contact, and since she wasn't quite strong enough to trap someone in a genjutsu just by pointing at them, like Itachi (Kakashi scowled at the memory), Ako could try catching their eye in some type of reflective surface.

"Like a mirror, or something metal?" Ako asked, tilting her head cutely so that the sun made a splash on her black hair. Kakashi frowned; were the roots brown today? They seemed lighter...

Kurenai nodded, smiling. "Yep. It'll take longer than usual to try and master it, because it's redirecting a beam of... well, basically a beam of thought. If you think of thoughts as varying degrees of light, you'll see what I mean. You should be able to see your opponent's eyes in the reflective surface, if you angle it just right; we'll try catching people who are sneaking up on you. Kakashi, get behind her, and no boning."

"I swear, Kurenai..." Kakashi growled threateningly. Ako's entire face turned crimson as she drew a kunai and adjusted the angle, trying to find the right way to hold the blade. Kurenai grinned and took the position in front of Ako.

"I'm sorry. Now, concentrate on the genjutsu first; how're you gonna scar him for life?"

"Tentacle rape would be best." Ako muttered to herself, "Except even I haven't been exposed to that kind of horror."

Kakashi shuddered. "I've seen tentacle rape hentai, it took WEEKS to get the stains out of my pants." he muttered, and blushed as Kurenai burst into laughter. "BLOOD stains, Anko dug her nails into my leg so deep I started bleeding!"

"Your third leg?" Kurenai asked with a giggle. Even Ako cracked a smile.

Silver scowled at his female companions. "Can we just get this over with?" He growled, shifting from foot to foot. "I need to kill a bitch..."

Ako nodded decisively, frowned at her kunai for a moment, adjusted the angle, and sent out her chakra.

Kakashi only got the slightest glimpse of what she had thrown at him, but it was so clear that even that subliminal message engraved itself in his mind; a bloody maw, shapeless and rotting, strips of meat hanging between discolored shards of what might have been teeth, a pulpy black mess for a tongue writhing in animal agony. Kakashi gulped.

"A little less like a thing from a Stephen King book, please..." he muttered, clutching his stomach. Ako blushed and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay, so he dispelled you pretty easily, right?" Kurenai asked, and nodded as Ako confirmed. "Well... I think you put more chakra and effort into creating the illusion, and not enough in casting it firmly around your target's mind. The Art of genjutsu is building a custom terror from your enemy's own fears."

Ako bit her lip. "Well... what if you don't have time for that? What if all you've got time for is something that you KNOW would shake anybody up?" she asked tentatively.

"Then... I guess... hmm." Kurenai rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "That's a good point."

"What WAS that, anyway?" Kakashi asked uneasily.

"Oh... just... what I imagine lives under people's beds..." Ako mumbled, not meeting his eyes.

Kurenai and Kakashi looked at each other. Then turned back to the little girl. "Well, let's work more on casting and ensnaring." Kurenai suggested.

In the space of twenty minutes, Kakashi witnessed: The raping of a beautiful church while its priestesses burned on the lawn; The murder of several adorable puppies (which left him shaking and Ako almost in tears); A scene in which Gai ass-raped a llama (Kakashi puked at that point); Another monster, this one a heaving mass of shadows, a stench rolling off it so foul that even in the genjutsu Kakashi's nose shut down completely; A bird-being with ripping-sharp teeth, tearing into the body of a young farmer's daughter as its fellows squawked and pecked at the girl's still-living flesh; And something Kakashi would never forget, something that haunted him for weeks after.

Himself, being sacrificed before an alter, a priest in bloody robes raising a knife high, insane cat-slit golden eyes gleaming in a crevasse in the floor, as a being HEAVED itself from one realm to the next.

Ako pleaded exhaustion, and Kurenai allowed her a five second break while she took Kakashi aside and spoke to him.

"What'd you see?" she demanded quietly, folding her arms over her chest. Kakashi stared at her blankly.

"Huh?"

"What did Ako show you just now? You almost puked again, and you were absolutely terrified, I could see it in your face." Concern sat comfortably on Kurenai's face, and Kakashi dimly noticed that she would make a fine wife and mother for someone. Probably Asuma.

"...Nothing much." Kakashi shrugged. "She's getting better. She ferreted out a few things." 'Like the golden eyes, and the priest.'

"Kakashi, you KNOW she didn't try to "ferret" anything out! She made it up entirely out of her own head, and you looked ready to shit your pants!" Kurenai hissed angrily. Kakashi unconsciously stepped back.

"It doesn't concern you." he growled, "If SHE wants to tell you, I'm fine with that. But it popped up in HER head, and she deflected it onto me, so I didn't have anything to do with it."

Kurenai glared at him a moment longer, then snorted and turned away. Ako seemed lost in thought, large eyes distant and anxious as she sat on the ground with her chin in her hand. She didn't notice that her senseis had finished speaking until Kurenai tapped her shoulder and said "Okay, Ako-chan, let's get this over with. Work on HOLDING the image; really focus and bring it down on 'im."

The girl did markedly better, but Kakashi wasn't going to tell Kurenai anything about what the genjutsu were about.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako grinned as Neji glared at her with insane eyes.

"Sooo, how'd it go?" she asked sweetly, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her folded hands, eyelashes fluttering innocently.

Neji raised a shaking finger and pointed at her. "You..." he growled.

"Me?" Ako questioned, tilting her head and widening her eyes.

"You... exposed me... to eleven hours... with that THING?" Neji burst out, pain etched on his features.

"Which thing? The little baby one or the big daddy one?" Ako asked, inspecting her nails.

"BOTH!"

"Then, yes, I did."

Hanabi crawled under the table, disappearing completely beneath that blanket thing that Ako could never think the name of. Hinata quietly bent her head over the scroll she was studying for her classes at the academy.

"Why?" Neji almost sobbed, "I thought you were my friend!"

Ako stood and hugged him, grinning to herself that he was still shorter than her by at least two inches. "I AM your friend, babykins," she scolded, using the nickname she'd made up for Hanabi when the little girl turned particularly trying. "Gai would scare anyone. And besides, haven't you already met him?"

"You didn't tell me he had a MINION!" Neji wailed, beginning to sob. "I HATE Lee! He's so- so-"

"Amazingly energetic?" Ako offered, and chuckled as her friend snarled. "Well, just because he's a little... over-enthusiastic does NOT mean you have a right to hate him. He's only trying to gain respect, and how's he gonna do that if you hate him for breathing?"

Hinata started guiltily and turned back to her notes, blushing crimson. Ako hid a smile.

Neji "hmph"d and shrugged out of her embrace, adjusting his headband again. "I still think me and Tenten-chan are the only sane people." he muttered, then stopped suddenly and squinted at Ako. "Wait... How..." he said slowly.

'Oh shit. What'd I let slip?'

"Yes?" Ako prompted, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck prickle.

"How'd you know Lee was the little baby monster?" Neji asked distrustfully.

Hanabi suddenly tackled his ankles.

Ako laughed, glad for the distraction. Hinata was obliged to get off her pillow and help her pull their little sister off their cousin-turned-angry-brother before either of them killed each other. Hanabi swore she had been practicing. Neji grumped and completely forgot his question.

Right before bed, Ako gave Hanabi an extra hug and a whispered "Thank you, babykins." Hanabi merely smiled.

"What are little sisters for?"

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

_**On the wind,**_

_**Across the sea,**_

_**Hear this song and**_

_**Remember,**_

_**Soon you'll be**_

_**Home with me,**_

_**Once upon**_

_**a December...**_

_Ako twirled in the field, a happy smile on her lips. A small group of felines purred, the soft sound weaving into words, droplets of bell-chimes sprinkling fairy-light joy between the notes._

_**Dancing bears,**_

_**Painted wings,**_

_**Things you almost **_

_**Remember,**_

_**And a song**_

_**Someone sings,**_

_**Once upon a**_

_**December...**_

_**Someone holds you safe and warm,**_

_**Horses prance through a silver storm,**_

_**Figures dancing gracefully,**_

_**Across your memory...**_

_A half-formed image... Mutter?... gone, gone, fading, shredding on the wind... Ako danced, and a man danced with her, tall, red-haired, golden-eyed, graceful as a cat, a loving possessiveness in his face. Vater..._

_**Far away,**_

_**Long ago,**_

_**Glowing dim as an ember,**_

_**Things your heart**_

_**Used to know,**_

_**Things it yearns to remember...**_

_Now even Vater faded... and now she danced with someone who seemed to glow soft silver, a glow dim as a star-ember, someone she should know... someone she DID know..._

_**And a song someone sings...**_

_Gone..._

_**Once upon a December...**_

_Gone..._

_The field, the cats, the man, the dance... fading into dark emptiness..._

_Gone._

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Far across the village, another sleeper dreamed.

_Though there was a blinding gold disk riding the heavens, the ground beneath was covered in deep black shadows. His breath tearing at his lungs, he turned, only to find that the thing that stalked him had turned as well, was behind him now, the only place it COULD NOT be._

_He spun again, and when this failed, he began to run again, run and run and run, fasterfasterfaster, til the ground was a blur, his thighs, calves, and feet burned in protest, his side ached in sharp bursts, and the sobs he'd been trying to swallow began again to invade._

"_Maman!" he cried, trying to break the silence; but no one answered his desperate plea. "Maman!" he screamed again, falling to his knees, legs trembling, "Maman! MAMAN!"_

_His follower swept suddenly around him, rotting flesh and decaying teeth, sticky slimy writhing, everywhere, devouring, devouring him, devouring everything, devouring the small spark of life that he carried in his heart, the spark that might have one day saved this world-_

A rush of consciousness swept the remnants of the dream away, if not the fear that followed it. Kakashi sat up slowly, clutching his sweat-drenched temple as, like water through a sieve, his terror drained away. He felt empty, now. Empty and scared.

There was really only one way to feel better.

Silently, Kakashi slid out of bed and grabbed up a spare pair of boxers and a clean towel. A shower would do him good. The night was unseasonably hot for September; his sheets were already showing signs of sweat-salt. Creeping through the apartment, Kakashi found himself wondering at the one bit of the dream he DID remember; the feeling that something, someone stalked him across that dismal moor, eyes sharp and locked on him.

The cold water made him shiver involuntarily, as did the cold dandruff shampoo as it sank through his hair and oozed over his scalp and fingers. Almost, he wished he hadn't decided to shower.

But it was too late, his skin was used to the temperature; no turning back now, he decided, and continued his dirt-patrol, little shivers racing along his spine when he turned and the water hit a new area.

Kakashi wiped the mist off the mirror when he was done and studied himself moodily.

The towel around his waist clung faintly, though not well; he could see his knees, barely, if he stood far enough back, and they weren't that different than they had been when he was young. The only thing that seemed to have changed was his height, his amount of muscle, and the scars that trailed across his body like a lover's caress.

A lover's...

Almost, he thought of a woman... no, not a woman, a girl... but then he thought of Iruka, lying warm and happy in his own bed, delicately masked features hiding a motherload of sexual enthusiasm. Strangely, the thought made him slightly nauseas. Maybe he WAS straight. Or already committed.

Kakashi snorted and pulled on his boxers. Like hell he was already committed. He WAS, however, cold. So he would sneak in and steal half of Iruka's bed; the little chunin was extremely warm usually, even in the dead of winter. And when he was out, he was out.

It was ridiculously easy to sneak into Iruka's room. Kakashi didn't let himself think about Iruka's reaction in the morning. Or the half-formed face that had flitted through his mind at the thought of lovers.

The girl's face.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

When Iruka woke, he was surprised to find that his nii-san was in a cuddly mood lately, as pointed out by his curling around Iruka and nuzzling him while fast asleep. Squirming out of the jonin's grip was impossible; Iruka had tried that angle many times before, and every time, Kakashi had proven an expert trapper.

So Iruka lay, feeling impatient, and was quite horrified when his alarm screeched and Kakashi calmly smashed it without waking, grumbling a bit and snuggling closer. Iruka gulped and felt his face and neck and ears flush as his nii-san pressed against him, every crevasse and curve memorized in their short time as lovers, every touch burning through the chunin yet again, even nearly three years after they had been over.

It was hard to get over Kakashi once you'd had him beg for more with tears in his eyes.

But still... Iruka sighed soundlessly, sudden lust abandoning him for an empty ache in his chest. Kakashi didn't want him anymore. That was fine; he hadn't really wanted to stay with Kakashi for longer than a month or two, unusual for the Dolphin. And besides...

The look in his eyes these days...

Was it possible? COULD his nii-san have fallen in love and not noticed? He wasn't really very good with feelings... he'd only noticed how much Iruka wanted him AFTER Anko had tricked them into kissing in front of Kakashi's then-current boyfriend and they had ended up half-undressed in barely fifteen minutes, despite Iruka's shy flirtations and offers that, to anyone else, would have been obvious clues. Kakashi took what he wanted, but only when he found out he wanted it. He could go for years without knowing that he was burning to get in someone's bed.

He was weird like that.

Maybe... maybe he'd found a woman. Someone with big breasts and long blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes and an incredible ass. Hell, she could be absolutely crone-like in features but have good teeth, and Kakashi would fall head-over-heels, if he fell for someone just because of their teeth and personality. He was SUCH a hopeless romantic.

Iruka smirked to himself, squirming away from Kakashi's warmth a little. Oh, he couldn't wait to find out who Kakashi's new girlfriend was... it would be so fun, acting the annoying little brother while his nii-san tried to go on romantic enough dates that his new squeeze would allow for a bit more squeezing than just a hug and the occasional kiss.

Oh, this was going to be SO much fun.

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

Ako briefly entertained the notion of running away and finding little Naruto on her own, but she was hardly capable in such capacities. She was not exactly an enticing character, but she had read enough books and watched enough cop shows to understand that, no matter what you looked like, SOMEone was going to take a dangerous interest in you. If they saw you.

Not that Ako would mind being murdered or kidnapped; with the former option, she would be dead, which was SUCH a controversial matter, even to her, that often she'd ponder the peculiarities and options, just for something to do; with the latter fate, she might fall in pseudo-love with her captor, get to understand him, get to know him, have a bit of a good feeling for another before she was annihilated.

She sighed and tried to pay attention to whatever tiresome squabble Gai and Kurenai had gotten into, but it was hard, because her mind just did NOT feel like hearing their voices, or joining Neji, Tenten, and Lee over to one side, or even bothering to try and get Kakashi to teach her something (never just talk, oh my, never never never that was too personal an action). She longed to hear her mutter's voice, whispering in her ear warningly while all around them her mutter's friends and their daughters eyed Ako distastefully, as a boy came up and began trying to flirt, as Ako's shyness was seen as a rude, cold brush-off.

No, scratch that. She didn't long for any such thing. Maybe her mutter's voice when she was younger... before she'd lost herself in time.

Ako sighed silently and put her chin in her hands, staring at... well, at absolutely nothing. She felt a bit trapped, a bit scared, a bit lost, herself. She didn't dare tell anyone, because it was such a silly feeling. But...

She hadn't heard the Demon in some time...

Ako chewed her lip anxiously, wondering... Maybe... Neko-sama WAS her father?... No, no, impossible, where would mutter meet him? At a club back in Japan? At a Furries Convention? Ako's mouth twitched in a reluctant smile, unknowingly watched by three of the people in the clearing; two green nightmares and a blue-black dream, who only watched her because he was bored as well with the trivial issue of taijutsu versus ninjutsu. He wondered vaguely if Ako might be able to hold a conversation today...

Neji stood suddenly, walked over to Ako, and said, quite loudly, "There's no reason WE should sit around here while the old people talk. C'mon, Ako-san, let's all go pester Hanabi-chan."

Ako looked up at him, blinking, as if coming from a deep sleep. Then she grinned from ear to ear.

"Indeed. Such advice, fair friend Neji, should be heeded, ne?" She leapt to her feet, boots crunching on the gravel, long raven hair flicking in the light, sending black stars shooting out to meet the gaze of admirers and those who carelessly looked. Kakashi turned his head away, lowering his eyes, feeling somewhat... shameful.

Kurenai sighed and smiled a little. "Yes, you kids go have fun. Leave the fogies to battle with the fogies." she looked at Kakashi, an evil glint in her eye.

"Oh, Kashi-chaaan~!" she sang mockingly, an unholy grin unfurling on her normally welcoming features. "Don't you want to go play with the other children, Kashi-chaaan?"

He looked up and glared at her.

"Ooo, such venom! Go play with the other little ones, dear, mummy and daddy will come get you after they talk." Kurenai cooed, eyes glittering dangerously. Kakashi growled deep in his throat and slid down the trunk of the tree he was leaning against and sat crosslegged, arms folded, glaring up at them all.

"I ain't moving, MOTHER." he snarled contrarily.

Gai was on him in a second.

"YOSH! You STILL have not found the WELLSPRING of COURAGE and YOUTH that allows one OUR age to act as if YOUNGER? Eternal Rival, WHY do you play these GAMES with US?" Gai began to sob over dramatically, and Lee leapt to his feet, applauding his sensei's speech.

Ako sighed. "Might as well come, sensei, or they'll tear out your liver." she warned Kakashi, "I should know, I saw them do it once. They're EVIL, they are."

"I knew THAT." Kakashi grumbled uneasily, getting up as he kept a wary eye on Gai, edging away from the sobbing man. "I knew that the moment they told me that I wasn't allowed to wander off alone."

"Well, you're not alone with us." Neji told him, faintly amused. "So let's get a move on."

Kurenai waggled her fingers at Kakashi, winked at Ako, and continued her debate with Gai. The others left the clearing and snuck away to the meadow-garden.

Kakashi flopped upon some daisies and pulled out his ever-present book, ignoring the children. Lee tried to impress Ako by showing off his flurry of moves, but no one was fooled into thinking she was really interested. She was only feigning such because it was rude to ignore a boy who so obviously had emotional issues; 'I mean,' Ako thought to herself wryly, 'He had- has- a crush on SAKURA, for god's sake! That takes some doing!'

No, she was not interested in Lee. She was more interested in trying to remember the names of flower-organs, though she had never been a great hand at biology; earth sciences had really been her forte in school. Regular, normal civilian school, that is.

Oddly, as Kakashi lay reading, his mind began doing weird tricks; though the name of the lead female in this particular novel was a juicy blond morsel named Chatora (AN: lol, first season of the Naruto anime, anyone?), who was most definitely, according to the numerous descriptions, an absolutely gorgeous woman in her late twenties. But... when he looked at the name...

It twisted.

The faintest glint of red fire around his fingers barely registered; he was puzzling this new development, disturbed by it. He didn't like having the words in his books change without his asking. It was one thing that the male lead's name, Baratei, kept changing into his own; it was quite another to look for Chatora, and find Ako instead.

Tenten and Ako were talking about death.

"I understand that there has to be a system; humans as a whole really can't function without SOMEthing to stick to." Ako was agreeing with Tenten, "But the basic, the basis; HOW is it organized? How are bad people punished? How are good rewarded? Who says who is bad or good? Is it some sort of voting system? We just don't KNOW."

Tenten nodded, chewing her lip. "Exactly. I respect your views, Ako-san, but I just don't think that, when we die, we float for a bit and then enter some other realm. I AM religious, though I know I don't look it," she admitted, a little embarrassed, "And I think that God really does care, and is taking our souls to heaven when we die. Or sending the sinners to Satan."

"That's a good point, and pretty much half the world would agree with you," Ako murmured, drawing in the dirt with a finger. Her lowered eyelashes and curtained hair hid her eyes and what they might tell. "But, I'm very sorry. I must disagree with you on this. My mother, too, is a- may I say it?- religious fanatic. Even if she's not altogether right in the head, she LOVES to preach about the beauties of certainty. Well, I am certain; god is nothing more than a notion created in someone else's mind, a man's mind, and was imposed on others, who believed, rather than risk the thinker's 'eternal damnation'."

Kakashi listened, feeling oddly excited by the low purr of friendly animosity, the buzz of intellect, the scent of determined female. He wanted to join in, add his voice, but he didn't dare. He didn't dare.

"God explains everything." Tenten pointed out, rather weakly. She was stalling, trying to think up another good argument. Ako smiled, the love of challenge dancing in her amber eyes.

"God explains what god explains and deems important. He leaves out so many things, though. For instance, if he created all man, from the start, why wouldn't he give them all an inbred belief in him? I doubt he could be so absent-minded. Also, how did GOD come into being? Was he always there? Did he start the Big Bang? Or did the Big Bang start him?"

Tenten sat, slack-jawed, not even bothering to hide the fact that she hadn't thought of that. The gaping turned to a smile. "I give up. You're too good."

"Well, I am two years older." Ako admitted dryly, "And I've been arguing religion for most of my life, trying to defy mum SOMETHING. I can hardly refuse to take care of her on the basis that she wants to go to church, now, can I?"

Tenten giggled. "No, I guess not. Tell you what. I'll pretend I give a crap about winning, and you keep giving me your ideas. Who knows, maybe you'll break my faith."

"You mean I haven't yet?"Ako seemed shocked. "Well, damn! I'm not as good as I thought! Anyway. What have you to say to the latest argument?"

Tenten thought. Lee and Neji and Kakashi watched silently, absorbed in the academic and completely irrelevant words and ideas and thoughts and arguments.

"...I'm going to quote an old preacher." Tenten said slowly, eyes unfocused as she remembered. "At mass one day, a Shinto priest appeared. He was begging, and since his own temple was so very generous with the little they had, poor souls, he expected perhaps a bit of the same. All the flock was tempted to at least give him SOMEthing... but our preacher stopped us.

"'Turn your faces away, thine Holy Lord's Lambs!', he yelled. 'Lo! The Devil in Rags has come, to steal you from your faith, to take you from the land of Truth and Wisdom down to the lake of Shadows! Do not stray from your teachings!'

"Immediately, everyone turned away. I didn't want to- I wanted to give the poor man at least some coins- but my seatmate grabbed my arm. I wasn't the only one. The only one to not turn was the little old lady in the front, the preacher's mother, and more religious than anyone in this town, I think. She just got up real slow (her back is always sore), took her purse and cane, ignored her son, and walked right up to the Shinto priest. Then she gave him at least seventy thousand yen and said 'God rest ye, boy, though you are not of my faith; for God has many faces, and yours is only one.' Then she tottered back to her seat and stared at her son expectantly, waiting for him to continue the sermon.

"He was so embarrassed, he handed over his vicar's collar that very night."

All was silent for a little while. Ako smiled, her eyes overbright. "I doubt that was an argument, though it was a very kind old lady, to give so much to one who did not conform." she murmured. Kakashi levered himself up on his elbows, wanting to hug her and wipe away the tears on her 'lashes, but not quite having the courage to even speak.

Tenten shook her head, though not in disagreement. "Yes... she is- was- a very kind woman." She murmured, face sad. "She died. A heartache. A mere week after the incident. The preacher went mad, saying it was the Shinto people's fault; that somehow they had killed his mother, though she had shown them kindness. But anyway. The point of the story was to show that, yes, I know my faith, and I know it can be cruel. But what about others? What about the Mormons, who are hardly thought of as faithful? What about the Jews, who believe themselves the Chosen of God, though Christians are as much their equals as anyone in that capacity? What about the Christians themselves, and the Catholics, and all those who say that condoms are evil, and against God, and also homosexuals? What of Buddhism?"

"Created through a man's suffering." Ako murmured. "Developed by a man who would eat nothing, drink nothing, and yet believe himself full. A man who could have had everything and turned it down for nothing." she smiled, the sadness of her features lifting. "I admire his will, though not his sense."

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle. The girls started, and turned to their audience. Ako blushed and looked down, her hair creating a curtain that she hid behind fully. Tenten bit her lip, suddenly shy.

"Maa, you've both got good points." Kakashi said thoughtfully, "But what if it's neither? What if there is a God, but an unkind one, someone who is invincible because he believes it, because he's strong in only one sense? What if there WAS a good Force that created everything, and was named God, but was destroyed because it did not believe it had any power over the new Force? And the new Force rose up and named itself with the dead one's title, and took the memories of the change and crushed them. That would explain quite a bit, too. If God is all-loving..."

"Why is there war, why is there hate, why is there death?" Ako murmured. Kakashi nodded, sitting up fully.

"Precisely. You know, those cults who worship evil Demons and such; they've always interested me, I don't know why. I started thinking, and I've developed a theory. There WAS a good Force, and it did create everything, and it did make Mankind in its image, but it was destroyed, and its place was taken. The two Forces were needed together, to balance things; as it was, with one gone, there was a vacuum of power and faith that just... spun away. Into all the cults and different forms of religion and such. And the second Force doesn't know how to capture it again; it can only destroy. Perhaps there were three Forces, once; creation, destruction, and the area between. We'll call it 'preservation' for now."

"Like in the Kencyrath novels." Ako murmured. Kakashi nodded again.

"Exactly so. But anyway. It could be that, as Destruction was the only Force left, it began to lead the cults and the major religions against each other. Each had a different version of things; none of them were wrong, because none of them were right. So Destruction leads the armies against each other and hopes and, god forbid, PRAYS to a higher Being that its followers win, its TRUE followers, though who those are, I've no idea."

"I've always been a bit smitten with the idea that our world is just the dream-thing, the thought-toy of some higher Being." Ako murmured, twirling her hair with her fingers dreamily as she thought aloud. "That we were created by something's imagination, and it has no idea that we exist. If we exist at all. It could be that we really ARE just particles of thought, thinking we've taken form and developed souls and minds, but really haven't."

"Oh, please don't," Tenten begged, shivering a little, "That kind of thing ALWAYS frightens me."

Ako shrugged. "To me, it's exhilarating. Imagine, all of us are as wrong as the other!" She laughed a little. "Everyone equal, yet we deem ourselves worthy of creating a hierarchy system that we all conform to, like a flock of timid sheep being herded by lions. Oh, this is too funny!" She started to laugh again, though Kakashi noted, with some concern, that it held a note of hysteria.

Neji was lost in his own mind, immune to their arcane wonderings. Lee seemed to be having trouble grasping the concept of not being real. They could tell because of his furrowed brow.

Ako sighed and began playing with a blade of grass. "Ah, well... if it's true, that we don't exist, then that means..." she stopped suddenly, and her eyes got big. Very big. She didn't breathe, or move, just sat and stared at nothing, eyes unfocused, expression shocked.

"That means..." she repeated softly. "That means there are other worlds... other times... and there could be gaps..." Kakashi shifted uneasily. Ako was frightening him, with her empty eyes and breathless voice. Her words sounded altogether too much like a prophesy of some sort.

And he didn't like that "Other times" part.

"But what if it's NOT true?" He countered her revelation, hoping desperately to draw her back into life, and goddamn BREATHE at least! Ako blinked, and took a slow, deep breath, ascending from whatever inner pool she'd been drowning in, unnoticed.

"If it's not true... then maybe one of the other theories are right. Maybe NONE of them are right. Maybe we really are just a planet hurdling through infinite space, with a bit of light, a bit of atmosphere, a bit of water, and lo! An entire race of sentient beings." Ako mused, almost completely forgetting the earlier episode. Kakashi nodded reluctantly.

Kurenai approached at that moment, smiling. "So what have you guys been talking about?" she asked.

Lee, Neji, Tenten, Ako, and Kakashi all looked at each other, then Kurenai. "Nothing." Ako said with a shrug.

"Nothing?"

"Nope." Tenten agreed with an easy smile, "Nothing at all."

**~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~~~\O/~~**

**Awww, you gotta love Tenten-chan! XD She's so... versatile! **

**-sings- Iruka's got a crush on KAKAAAASHI! Iruka's got a crush on KAKAAAASHI! They're so cute! I mean, KakaNaru, to me, is the ultimate Yaoi pwnage, but KakaIru was my first fandom (besides a bit of delicious KakaAnko), so I have a bit of a soft spot for those two. ^w^**

**I GOT NARUTO SEASON ONE OUT OF THE LIBRARY AND IT EFFING ROOOOOOCKS! HAKU FOR THE WIN, BIZNITCHES! XD Original Japanese Kakashi, too (even though he's hawt no matter what...)! Anyone else notice how Zabuza is so HORRIBLY proportioned before they put a shirt on him? Ugh, he's got a girl's waist and my dad's shoulders... I feel so bad for Haku-kun.**

**ANYWAY! Like the religion bit, huh huh? If you think I mis-said or presumed anything about any mentioned religion at all, please tell me in a review, or PM me if you don't feel like making it public. I'll fix that spot if I can, but ONLY if it's a fact I got wrong. These are all my opinions, except for Tenten-chan (she's my inner Believer), so that's why I want to know if I got something wrong. If I did, I have been misinformed and thus have formed my views sloppily. OwO Arigato, my chiisai amis! XD**

**(*The world loves you*)**


End file.
